


Fire and Ice

by thenukacolachallenge



Series: Nora Rogers [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, also Arthur looks his age, i took the canon and slammed it into the wall a few times, like it's not on purpose but it happens every few chapters, so much goddamn hurt/comfort, still a better ending than the actual bos ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2019-10-05 06:49:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17320025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenukacolachallenge/pseuds/thenukacolachallenge
Summary: Nora Rogers is the child of a doomsday prepper. After surviving the apocalypse, she begins the long road ahead to finding her only son from a loveless marriage, and encounters along the way, friendship, life-changing circumstances, and a young man she's more than smitten for.





	1. Chapter 1

Nora Rogers sighed wearily over her coffee as she stared out into the gassing area of the Red Rocket Truck Stop she now called home. What passed for coffee and a home in this day and age, she supposed.

It had now been two days since she had finally caught up with Kellogg - the man who had taken everything from her that the bombs hadn’t in an instant. She frowned and sipped the(honestly quite foul) concoction of silt bean water as she remembered. The terror and then rage as she and Dogmeat had made it to him inside Fort Hagen, the complete and utter contempt she had felt rushing through her as he told her the Institute - the Commonwealth’s Boogeymen - had her son, Shaun. 

The satisfaction as the combat knife her husband had left behind in their bunker was used to slit his throat.

She shuddered, setting her drink down. This still wasn’t her world. Killing didn’t come second nature to her like it did many other residents of the Commonwealth. She’d tried to only kill out of self-defense or the defense of others. But still, as much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn’t; she’d been happy to avenge Nate, and she’d do it again.

Don't think about Nate.

She remembered as the walked back out to the roof, seeing that leviathan of the air, the Brotherhood of Steel’s airship. She silently thanked whatever god still existed that she was on their side.

“Mum?” A familiar voice called out from across the fenced yard.

“Yes, Codsworth?” Nora shouted back to the Mr. Handy tending to the food garden off in the corner. She stood up from her table right in front of the window and walked out to greet him. Dogmeat looked up from his doghouse right outside the door as she exited, and barked happily.

“Miss Nora, while I do so love having you around,” Codsworth began as he floated over to her, a bucket of mutfruit draped over one of his robotic arms. “I know Paladin Danse must surely be eager for you to return to Cambridge to meet with the rest of the Brotherhood!”

She sighed softly. She’d expected to have this conversation of course, but with Danse himself, not with her robotic butler. When she met Recon Squad Gladius, it hadn’t been under the best conditions. She’d been on her way to Diamond City with a lead on Shaun, when her Pip-Boy alerted her to a military distress signal. Heart pounding, she’d made a detour to assist them, hoping, praying, maybe if there was still a military, they’d be able to help a pre-war veteran’s widow find her missing child. Of course, that hadn’t been the case, and when Danse asked for her origins, she’d lied by omission and simply said she was from Sanctuary. She neglected to mention that she was a fossil, a woman out of time who’d only survived thus far because her father had been a doomsday prepper and her childhood had been spent learning to shoot, skin, preserve, collect and rebuild instead of playing like a normal kid her age.

Fat lot of good that did him, she thought with a small snort. He’d been on a plane going to give a speech at some convention out of state when the bombs fell. With the EMP blast, he had likely died on impact. She only prayed it was painless for him.

Still, after talking to Doctor Imari in Goodneighbor, and delving directly into Kellogg’s memories, she knew the Brotherhood of Steel would be the surest, safest bet on finding a way into the Glowing Sea, and finding the ex-Institute scientist, Doctor Virgil. It was the only lead she had on getting into the Institute and getting her son back safe.

“I know Cods,” Nora sighed. “I just…. Need some time to myself. I’m almost ready to head back out there.” 

“Of course, mum! If there’s anything you need from me, please allow me to assist in any way I can!” With that, Codsworth floated past her, inside the building to put the mutfruit away into a refrigerator she’d managed to get working. Though she didn’t spend a lot of time at Red Rocket, and no one else lived here but her, Codsworth, and Dogmeat, she kept a garden; partially to give Codsworth something to do while she was away besides fret over her, and partially to help feed the other settlements she assisted when there was excess crop.

She knew there was no reason to be scared of the Brotherhood. Although her and Rhys had a strained relationship, she knew Haylen and Danse to be good people. She’d helped them with plenty of missions already, including finding the surviving member of the recon squad sent to the Commonwealth before them, Paladin Brandis. Even so, all she’d heard from Danse, and all she’d seen from that night, as the giant warship boomed a broadcast of peace through the sky….

She looked down at Dogmeat, who was enjoying his breakfast of canned dog food and purified water. She felt a pang of sadness. This would be the first time in a long time she wouldn’t be bringing him with.

“Be good, okay boy?” She said softly as she kneeled down, tangling her fingers in his fur. He wagged his tail, thankful for affection, but continued his meal. “I’ll be back soon.”

With that, she headed to the makeshift bathhouse to clean up. After that, she would pack and return to Cambridge.

~~~

“Initiate Rogers!”

The walk from Red Rocket to Cambridge was largely uneventful. Nora had stopped by the Drumlin Diner to trade with Trudy and check up on her son, Patrick. It had been almost a month since that fateful standoff between Trudy and Wolfgang, but Patrick was finally starting to behave normally, finally rid of his Jet addiction. It had been a lonely walk without a companion, however, and she found herself flipping between radio stations to try and pass the time.

As she walked up to the police station, she heard Haylen calling her name.

“Hey, Initiate! Good to see you,” Haylen said as she smiled warmly. There were a lot more Brotherhood soldiers around than last time, Nora thought meekly as she surveyed the area. Lots of scribes, and plenty of soldiers in power armor towering above her.

She only hoped no one would sniff her out as the fraud she still felt like. This wasn’t the world she was born into. She still had no idea what she was doing, as a wastelander, as the General of the Minutemen, and as a soldier. Hell, Preston had more pull with her men than she did; she was merely an errand-girl for the settlements while he and Major Shaw were at the Castle training the new recruits and handling the logistics of everything

Nate would have been so much better at this, a voice in her mind chided gently. She swallowed it down. 

Think of Shaun. You can still save him.

“Good morning, Haylen,” Nora replied cheerfully. “Where’s Danse?” She tried to act like the multitude of people didn’t bother her.

“Oh, he’s inside. It’s so good you’re here, I swear, he wanted to board the Prydwen as soon as it got in but he got orders from the Elder to wait on his initiate,” Haylen spoke loudly to be heard over the commotion as she led Nora inside.

Shit.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep anyone waiting! I just--”

“No need to worry, you were out in the field. It’s expected,” Haylen assured her with a wave of the hand as she led her over to where Danse was standing, staring wistfully out the window - presumably in the direction of the airship that Nora had just learned had a name. He was so dramatic sometimes. She approached him. “Danse.”

“Cavalry’s arrived,” Danse responded gruffly, still staring outside. “And it looks like they’ve sent in the big guns.”

Nora bounced anxiously on her heels. She wished he’d turn around. “Why… did the Brotherhood send it here?”

“We call our ship the Prydwen. She’s loaded with enough troops and supplies to mount a major offensive. If she’s here, Elder Maxson’s here. And that means we’re going to war.”

So much for that ‘we come in peace’ nonsense then, Nora thought icily. She hadn’t signed on for a war. But if they were taking the fight to the Institute…. Where Shaun was….

“Who’s Elder Maxson?” Maybe, if Nora could get a word with him, she could explain the lead she had, get on the squad for that assignment, and get that much closer to finding her son.

“Maxson is the commander of this division of the Brotherhood of Steel,” Danse explained, turning around, his chest swelling proudly even in his power armor that he seemed to never remove himself from. “He’s the model of what every Brotherhood soldier hopes to become. If we’re going to war, I can promise you he’ll be leading the charge.”

Nora nodded, still taking everything in. Danse seemed to hold a very high opinion of the Elder. She wondered vaguely if Maxson was as severe about everything as Danse was.

“That being said,” Danse continued, “you’re about to get to know the Prydwen up close and personal. I’ve received orders that we’re both to report to her immediately.” Nora swallowed and coughed quietly, acutely aware she had made the both of them late for their first orders from the Elder since arriving. “Follow me up to the roof. We’re going for a little ride.” The Paladin grinned as he turned and walked up the stairs, Nora following silently in tow.

As they boarded the vertibird, Danse instructed her to man the minigun attached to the side, explaining that it was loaded and ready to fire, but to watch for civilians before unloading. She could barely hear him over the roar of the machine, and as they lifted off her heart dropped into her stomach unexpectedly. It had been a very long time since she’d been in the air for any reason. Danse continued to chatter, obviously enjoying the flight. Nora’s head was in the clouds, her mind trying to take everything in with one clear thought shining through the fog:

 

Find Shaun. By any means possible.

As they approached the airport that the giant airship was situated above, one statement from Danse stood out over the hum of her own thoughts:

“This is the moment where everything changes. I hope you’re ready.”

She laughed softly. She didn’t think she’d been less ready than when she opened the vault door to witness the apocalypse firsthand.

With a loud whir, the vertibird docked into the bay, and Nora and Danse disembarked onto the flight deck of the Prydwen.


	2. Chapter 2

“Welcome back, Paladin,” Lancer-Captain Kells addressed Danse with a salute as the duo walked up to him. He glanced at Nora, looking quite unimpressed. Nora smoothed her Brotherhood uniform and pushed her bangs over the scar on her forehead, suddenly very self-conscious. “And is this our new recruit?”

 

Danse either didn’t notice the scrutiny or ignored it. “Yes sir. I’ve field promoted her to Initiate and I’d like to sponsor her entry into our rankings personally.”

Nora felt her breath catch in her throat. Danse wanted to be her personal sponsor? She appreciated his belief in her abilities, but she immediately began worrying about all the ways she could possibly let him down.

“Yes, we’ve read your reports,” Kells replied, eyes still boring into Nora. “You’ll be pleased to know that Elder Maxson’s approved your request, and placed the recruit in your charge.” Nora’s eyes went wide. “With that, Paladin, your current orders are to remain on the Prydwen and await further instruction.”

Danse seemed more than pleased with this news. “Thank you, sir. Ad victoriam.”

 

` “Ad victoriam, Paladin,” Kells repeated, saluting him again. As Danse walked away, he turned his scrutinizing gaze back to Nora, whose urge to get away from his stare by jumping into the ocean below was growing stronger. “Sir,” she offered meekly.

“So, you’re the one Paladin Danse has taken under his wing.” He gave her a once-over, then huffed sternly. “You don’t look much like a soldier to me.”

Me either, Nora thought desperately. Still, she took a breath and tried to steel her nerves. She needed to play the part until she could get to Shaun. “Looks can be deceiving, sir,” she offered, a small smile playing on her face. Turning up her “lawyer charm,” as Nate had called it.

Don’t think about Nate.

“Which is precisely why I personally insist on scrutinizing every recruit who boards this vessel,” Kells countered sternly. Jesus, did everyone in the Brotherhood always have such severity in their tone? “I’ve read Paladin Danse’s report. He seems to think you’ll make a fine addition to the Brotherhood. You might expect an endorsement like that to grant you a great deal of latitude with us, but let me make one thing clear. The Brotherhood of Steel has travelled to the Commonwealth with a specific goal in mind. As the captain of this vessel, I won’t allow anyone to jeopardize our mission, no matter how valuable they think they are. Understood?”

Nora nodded, determination burning in her eyes. Think about Shaun. “Absolutely, sir. I won’t let you down.”

Kells stared for a moment, then nodded in reply. He didn’t seem impressed. “Very well. Your orders are to proceed to the Command Deck for the address, after which Elder Maxson wishes to have a word with you. Dismissed, Initiate.” He did not salute her, but she saluted him, and with an “Ad Victoriam” to his already retreating form, she made her way to the deck for the Elder’s address.

As she arrived, she saw a group standing at attention in the direction of a man faced away from them, talking. He wore a long fleece-lined battlecoat and stood rigid, only his hands moving. Nora pushed her jet-black hair away from her eyes and stood at attention too, towards the back of the room. However, the man in front turned, and Nora’s stance dropped as well as her jaw.

The man speaking was not a man, but merely a boy. Couldn’t be older than early-to-mid twenties, with a smattering of stubble on his face, save for where a long, deep scar started from his eye and made its way down his jaw. Nora absentmindedly rubbed her own scar, one down the middle of her forehead and down to her nose, where the deathclaw she’d battled in Concord had knocked the helmet off her power armor and sliced her face, barely missing her eye. She wondered if his was from a deathclaw too, it certainly had that same arcing shape. The only thing that looked old about him were his eyes, intense and light blue with shadows of a thousand sleepless night under them. He had a booming, authoritative voice, but Nora couldn’t concentrate on his a single word.

This… child was the leader of the entire East Coast Brotherhood of Steel?

She watched him pace and gesture, but her head was reeling. Surely this couldn’t be right. She only snapped back to reality when he began to talk of the Institute. She listened as he demonized synths(she frowned, thinking of Nick Valentine, but said nothing), and was surprised at how his words stirred a fire within her. He was certainly a powerful speaker, if nothing else. He ended his speech, with a loud “Ad Victoriam!” and as everyone repeated back to him, saluted, and returned to their duties, he once again turned around to face the window. Nora stepped toward him, steps light against the metal floor.

“Elder Maxson…?” Nora spoke softy.

“I care about them, you know.” He didn’t turn around. She wasn’t sure if Danse got his theatrics from him or vice versa. “The people of the Commonwealth.”

“I…. thought we were preparing for war, sir,” Nora responded, confused.

“The Brotherhood is here to prevent a war by starting one of our own.” He turned around, and his voice was low, although not one bit less intense. His eyes narrowed. “The difference is, our war won’t reduce civilization to ashes.” A second time, she thought to herself, smiling sadly. “Paladin Danse speaks very highly of you in his report. Seeing as he’s one of my most respected field officers, you couldn’t get a better recommendation.”

Nora smiled. Where Kells had made that seem inconsequential, Maxson transformed it into the highest praise. She could see why he commanded so much respect, despite his age. He had a way of drawing out peoples’ strengths, and she had only spent a few minutes in his company. 

“Therefore, from this moment forward, I’m granting you the rank of Knight. And, befitting your title, we’re granting you a suit of Power Armor to protect you on the field of battle.” The corners of his lips lifted slightly, threatening a small smile. “Wear it with pride.”

Nora’s jaw dropped again. She couldn’t believe it. A pristine suit of power armor would be perfect for trekking through the Glowing Sea. She saluted him. “Thank you, Elder. I won’t let you down.” 

“Ad Victoriam, Knight,” he saluted back, and Nora couldn’t help a swell of pride from overcoming her. Despite feeling like an outsider, an alien in the place she’d grown up, she felt proud to be a part of something so strong and steadfast, even if it was lead by a someone at least ten years her junior. 

Or two hundred and ten.

“Now, once you’re finished becoming familiar with the--”

“Actually, sir, there was something I was wondering if I could discuss with you,” Nora began, suddenly very nervous again. “I don’t mean to interrupt and I understand you’re very busy and, uh…” Maxson watched patiently as she rambled, nodding for her to continue. “I’ve actually recently come across a lead for a way to get into the Institute..”

The Elder’s eyebrows raised. “You have a way into the Institute.” He sounded skeptical.

“A possible lead for a way in,” she repeated, making sure to not give any false information. “The only problem is the lead is somewhere in the Glowing Sea, but no one knows where exactly… sir,” she added hastily.

He glanced at her for a moment, sizing her up. She felt the heat rising in her cheeks, suddenly self-conscious. After a moment or two, he spoke.

“Very well. If you could follow me to my quarters, we can discuss this further.”


	3. Chapter 3

Nora felt completely out of place as she followed Elder Maxson to his private quarters. She couldn’t help but blush at the implications of meeting him in his own bedroom, despite herself. She wondered if this was standard nowadays, or if it was simply because there wasn’t much room on an airship to have a private meeting otherwise.

Maxson didn’t help, either. As they reached the ladder to go climb to the main deck, he stepped aside and directed her to proceed first. Confused, she complied, but as she was climbing she realized he was now in perfect position to catch her or break her fall should she lose her footing. The Old World gesture of chivalry surprised her. Not that her male companions weren’t kind, Danse certainly could be and Preston would trip over himself to help her with any problem she faced, the concept of chivalry seemed to be lost among the wastelanders. While it was a relief to finally be treated as an equal in society, there were sides to it, like this, she now realized she missed. Her face grew red again, and she was glad he couldn’t see.

They reached the top, and Maxson turned around and walked to the room right behind the ladder, holding the door as she entered. She looked around, surprised at how sparse it was. She first noticed the multitude of shot glasses and alcohols on the main table, with a globe and a few papers(mission reports, she assumed), as well as a cigar box and an ashtray. There was a very meager single bed in one corner and an equally sparse and threadbare couch in the opposite corner. Behind the table was a desk with a terminal, a lamp, and more alcohol, and next to the couch there was a shelf with a few tools. She was surprised by the lack of decor, with the way Danse spoke so highly of him she’d half-expected him to have the quarters of a king. But no, these seemed very bare bones, almost what she’d expect of a soldier who never spent any time in his barracks.

Except for all the alcohol. She wondered if he was even old enough to drink legally.

The Elder sat down at the table, pushing the bottles aside. Nora took the seat opposite him. She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up a hand to silence her.

“Knight Rogers, while I am very eager to discuss any possible methods of dealing with the Institute, before we continue, we need to have a talk about your... allegiances,” Maxson spoke carefully, as though trying to make his point as clear as possible. Nora blinked.

“Are you referring to the Minutemen, sir? Because I can assure you we have no interest in interfering--” He held up a hand again.

“No,” his brow furrowed as he spoke. “There was a…. note, Paladin Danse made in his assessment of you. I had planned to ask about it, but this seems like a good of time as any.”

Nora stared, waiting for him to continue. She couldn’t fathom what she had done to give Danse the impression she wasn’t loyal to the Brotherhood. Sure, she did run off on them a lot, but she had made it clear to Danse when she joined that she was also the General of the Minutemen, and a large portion of her time would be dedicated to helping the citizens of the Commonwealth. He had deemed it a noble enough cause at the time, despite thinking it a waste of time and energy, and allowed her to come and go as she pleased. In the small pockets of downtime for either group, she had spent her time with Dogmeat, tracking down Shaun.

“According to his report on you, he was informed, by you, that you came from a small settlement to the north called Sanctuary. However, he also noted you had combat skills far beyond an average wastelander, and your ingenuity and quick-thinking seemed out of place for someone from such a small settlement.” Maxson’s eyes bored into hers as he spoke. The icy blue intensity intimidated her a little. “Knight Rogers, if you didn’t feel comfortable telling Paladin Danse about your past, that is understandable. He also mentioned your initial meeting was rough and outside assistance was needed, so very little was questioned. But we do not allow secrecy like that in the Brotherhood. If you have a skillset that we need and we don’t know about it, that’s a problem. And if you’re working for an enemy of ours...” He folded his hands on the table in front of him as he trailed off, stare more intense than ever.

Nora stared blankly for a second. Then, understanding washed over her, followed by relief. “Oh no! No sir, nothing like that. I…. Um….” The thought of having to explain her origins to this man suddenly overwhelmed her, and she glanced down at her own hands, draped over her lap, and sighed softly. “It’s a very long story.”

“Continue.”

Taking a deep breath, she continued. “I was telling the truth when I told Danse I was from Sanctuary. But it wasn’t the whole truth. I…. lived there before the war.” She glanced up to read his expression, and saw his eyes had widened a little. “There’s a vault just behind the settlement, Vault 111. When the bombs began dropping, my neighbors and I all rushed into the vault, too shocked to question what was happening. We entered these…. pods, they told us they would depressurize us as we went deeper into the Vault. But they lied. They were cryogenic storage pods. I was frozen for 200 years.” She stopped again, to wait for a response.

Maxson’s facial expression had returned to his usual severe stare. He saw she had more to say, and nodded for her to continue.

“Growing up pre-war… was difficult. My father was a “doomsday prepper,” someone who was a little fanatical about preparing for the end of the world. I guess he knew we were headed toward nuclear annihilation even when I was young. Instead of playing with other kids, he took me on wilderness trips, almost every weekend. He taught me to survive off the land, how to forage and hunt, and how to defend myself if necessary. He was ex-military, as was my husband.” She smiled sadly as the pang of memory came over her. “I’m sorry to disappoint, but all my skills are what I picked up from them. I have no other extensive training, and I am from Sanctuary, just… before the war. I apologize for not telling Paladin Danse sooner.”

Maxson was silent, taking in her words. After a strained moment of silence, he spoke.

“I should be the one apologizing, Knight. It appears I've completely misjudged you. In fact, a lot makes sense now that I know you’re not from this era.” He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “You mentioned your husband. Is he still…?”

She shook her head. “I was the only survivor. Everyone else in the vault except Nate, our son Shaun, and myself were the victims of cryo-pod malfunctions. The Institute woke Nate up and killed him and stole my baby. I tracked down the man who killed Nate and managed to get out of him that there’s an ex-Institute scientist hiding somewhere in the Glowing Sea, but he didn’t know his location. If I-- we,” she corrected herself, “can find this scientist, he could have the information we need to get inside.”

This gave the Elder pause. “...This is…. Quite a lot to take in, Knight.” He stood slowly and began pacing. “I now understand why you’re so eager to get into the Institute as well.”

Nora nodded. Despite her apprehension, she felt at ease telling Maxson about her life. If nothing else, he was a very good listener. “I… I’ve already lost ten years away from him. They took him as an infant, and I didn’t wake back up until ten years after the fact. He’s the only thing I have left. I have to get him back, Elder.” She choked up at her last sentence, and cleared her throat quickly, hoping to pass it off as a cough.

Maxson looked at her and nodded sagely, continuing to pace. “We will, you can count on that. If the information you were given is true, it’s a very promising lead. An ex-Institute scientist could have all sorts of knowledge the Brotherhood could use. However, the Glowing Sea is a very dangerous place. I’m sure you’ve been informed of this already,” He appeared pensive. “But…. If we were to modify the power armor and send a well-equipped team…. It is possible….”

Nora’s heart fluttered. She sat quietly, twiddling her thumbs anxiously on the table, waiting for him to continue. She wasn’t going to blow this chance by opening her mouth.

“....And if we give our scribes a few weeks, they could also help with the radiation. Yes….” Maxson sat, and he appeared to be talking to himself now more than her. “...Very well, Knight. I will approve your squad for a recon mission to the Glowing Sea as soon as the proper modifications and supplies have been procured.”

A hand flew to Nora’s mouth, and tears threatened to flow from her eyes. “Thank you so much, Elder. I promise to do my absolute best on this mission.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second.” He sat again, his expression unreadable again. After a quiet moment, he reached over and placed his hand over hers. The unexpected intimacy of the gesture sent electric shocks down to her core. She snapped her gaze up to him, trying to suppress the furious blush that threatened to overtake her face. There was a softness in his stare now, and despite every nerve in Nora’s body screaming for her to look away, she couldn’t.

“I promise you, Knight,” his voice was low, and the while the fire behind his words was still there, there was also a note of tenderness, “we will get your son back. The Institute will pay for what they’ve done to you and your family. You have my word.” His gaze was locked directly onto hers, and she could feel a warmth inside of her she thought the cryogenic stasis had taken forever. “I apologize for the loss of your husband. I know there’s not a lot I could do to ease your pain, but our doctor, Knight-Captain Cade, is also trained in mental health and wellbeing. If you feel the need to work through your pain, I know he could help you.”

Nora wasn’t sure if her vocal chords still worked, but after a moment, she finally choked out a small, “....Thank you, sir.”

After what felt like an eternity, he finally removed his hand from hers. The rigidity and steel in his voice returned. “Now, Knight, your current orders are to meet my staff and familiarize yourself with the Prydwen. Report to Paladin Danse and he will be able to direct you. Dismissed.” He stood, bringing his fist to his chest in a salute. “Ad Victoriam.”

She stood, heart still pounding, and repeated the gesture. “Ad Victoriam, Elder.” With that, she turned and left his quarters.


	4. Chapter 4

“Cover me, Danse!” Nora shouted over the hail of gunfire as she ran out of cover to retrieve the gun that had been knocked out of her hands. She sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her, praying she could outrun any gunfire sent her way, while Danse distracted the super mutants with shots of his own. Picking Righteous Authority off the ground where it had spun out of reach, she ducked behind a blown-out building, firing along with her commanding officer.

After meeting the Prydwen’s crew, Nora and Danse were instructed to meet with Elder Maxson for their next assignment. Nora’s heart had fluttered as he explained they were to clear out the nearby Fort Strong of super mutants, including a behemoth, and secure a mini-nuke cache for the Brotherhood. She only half paid attention, her mind still on the intimate moment from earlier.

All that distraction vanished as the vertibird circled the peninsula, as she fired round after round into the behemoth, while Danse provided fire support opposite her to distract the other hostiles. When at long last, it fell to the ground with a sickening thud and breathed its’ last breath, the lancer retreated slightly to drop off her and Danse for a ground assault and head back to the Prydwen for repairs.

Though the behemoth was dispatched, the other mutants were still putting up a hell of a fight. Nora shot a one approaching behind Danse with a nail board, the laser burning through his chest and reducing him to a pile of ash. “Watch your six, Paladin!” she called as a warning. Danse nodded and rushed forward to cover more ground, bullets bouncing off his power armor with ease. She hoped that the damage from the firefight wouldn’t cause the trip to the Glowing Sea to be delayed. 

As they pushed further and the last of the mutants were dispatched, Nora finally came out from behind her cover. “Well, that was a rush,” she panted through uneven breaths. Danse nodded but said nothing. He wasn’t even out of breath, she noticed plaintively. Though she was slowly but surely becoming more acclimated to wasteland life, the slight curves from the cushy lifestyle that life before the bombs had afforded her still clung to her. And a firefight was a surefire way to prove how out of shape she still was.

They continued into the fort itself, contending with more super mutants along the way. As they delved deeper into the building, the fights became harder due to the lack of light and the presence of radiation. Nora had to tackle a mutant hound as it was headed straight for Danse while he was distracted, taking Nate’s combat knife to its tough flesh repeatedly while trying to not get any limbs caught in its massive jaws. As they finally culled the last of the mutants, securing the nukes, Nora caught up to Danse, who was already heading back to the main floor.

“Look at this place,” he snarled as she reached him, glancing around. “You must hate these mutants as much as I do.”

Nora frowned at his sudden hostility. “I hate anything that threatens the safety of the Commonwealth, but, yeah, they’re... pretty awful.”

“These monstrosities are just another example of man blindly taking a step forward, only to wind up stumbling two steps back.” The contempt in his voice was almost palpable. “I’ve been fighting for years, trying to put a stop to this madness, and just when I thought we were getting the upper hand, along come the synths.” He stared down at the carnage. “I’ve seen what these super mutants do to people. Can you imagine what the synths would do to us if they ever got the upper hand? It would be armageddon, repeated. And maybe the end of everything we hold dear.”

Nora watched him carefully but didn’t speak, allowing him to vent his frustrations out. He sighed. “Look. I don’t mean to bore you with my rhetoric. I just want you to understand how important these missions are.”

“I’m not bored, Paladin,” Nora responded quietly. “No need to apologize. It helps to remind me why I’m doing this.” 

As if she needed a reminder. She needed the Commonwealth to be a safe place to raise a child.

“Thank you, Knight,” Danse smiled warmly at her. “It’s good to know you’re taking my advice to heart.”

But still, something nagged at her as they walked. “Permission to speak freely, sir?”

“Speak.”

 

“Why do you hate super mutants so much? You don’t like ghouls or synths either, but I’ve noticed a certain…. contempt when you talk about them, versus the others.”

Danse was quiet for a moment. Then, the venom in his voice came out. “....They were responsible for the deaths of a few close friends. A Brotherhood Knight named Cutler, and a Sentinel named Taylor. So when you ask if I hate them, I say ‘hate’ is too gentle a word.”

“I…. I’m so sorry, Danse,” Nora put a hand on his armored forearm, but he shrugged it off. “I’m okay, soldier, it was a long time ago. And besides,” he added, “Taylor’s body was never officially recovered. There are still plenty of officers who think she’s still out there.”

So Sentinel Taylor was a woman. Interesting. Nora wondered what she was like. “What do you think, Paladin?”

“I believe she would have re-established contact a long time ago. She was never particularly fond of the Brotherhood’s rules, but she would have never left us on radio silence for so long.” Danse had a faraway look in his eyes as he remembered. After a moment, he shook his head, as if physically shaking away his thoughts. “Anyway, that’s enough of that. What’s important here is that you got the job done and secured these warheads.”

“That we got the job done,” corrected Nora, a small smile playing on her face. Danse couldn’t help but smile back. “Excellent point, Knight. At any rate, we should return to the Prydwen. I’ll debrief Maxson so you can take some time to, uh…. launder those bloodstains out of your uniform. And your hair.” He wrinkled his nose at the mutant hound blood that covered her. She nodded eagerly, giving silent thanks as they headed out of the building and towards the airport.

~~~

Nora had never been more thankful in her life to take a warm shower. Of course, the showers were communal(though not co-ed, she noted thankfully), the pressure was iffy, and there were no slippers to protect her feet, she didn’t care as the hot water poured over her body. She almost moaned aloud as she scrubbed herself with a meager bar of soap, so thankful for a bathing experience that didn’t involve heating water herself beforehand.

As she scrubbed, her mind wandered over the events of the last few days. Almost immediately her thoughts turned to the young Elder. Her cheeks burned freely as she recalled in great detail the moments she’d spent in his quarters, his hand over hers, his voice low and soft, those blue eyes…

A wave of guilt washed over her, and she nearly gasped aloud. Here she was, a widow, fantasizing about a boy at least ten years her minor. Shame burned her. 

Don’t think about Nate. Don’t think about Nate.

Don’t.

But she did think about Nate, and the floodgate of emotions burst open. She sobbed pitifully, sitting and wrapping her head in her knees, the water pounding against her.

Nora had known Nate from early childhood, and they had become fast friends. They lost touch after middle school when he moved, but they reconnected in her early years of college, where she had drunkenly convinced him to have a one-night fling. The moment came and went and their romantic interest in each other fizzled out, but when she discovered she was pregnant, Nate had stepped up to the plate and married her to protect her honor. They had never loved each other as anything more than friends, and Shaun had been a blessing, but an absolute accident. Nate had then joined the military in the hopes of providing for his new family, but came back differently after the war. PTSD, the doctors called it. He had given up on a chance at his own happiness to take care of his childhood friend, because an unwed mother was a pariah in pre-war society.

And now he was dead, and she’d never have the chance to thank him for everything he did for her.

Nora spent over an hour in the showers.

~~~

After finally collecting herself enough to get dressed, Nora made her way to the flight deck. She knew sleep would evade her tonight, and she wanted to be able to look up at the stars like she did when she travelled the Commonwealth. It helped calm her.

There were no vertibirds in the docks, and it was late enough to where there was no one on patrol. She hugged her bomber jacket tighter to her, shivering in the cold night air as her damp hair clung to her face. She leaned onto the railing, fished a holotape out of her pocket, popped it into her Pip-Boy, and pressed play.

She needed to hear his voice.

“Oops, hahaha,” Nate’s voice spoke as feedback blared and Shaun’s coos could be heard in the background. “No no no, little fingers away…. There we go.”

Nora listened to the entire tape, then played it again, staring out into the big open sky. His voice was a painful reminder that she didn’t belong in this world. 

Suddenly, a low voice spoke from behind her. “Is that your husband’s voice?”

Nora practically jumped out of her skin, giving a small unladylike yelp. She turned to face none other than Elder Maxson.

“I-- um--”

He appeared a little uncomfortable. “I apologize, Knight. It wasn’t my intention to scare you.”

Her heartbeat wouldn’t return to normal, and she suspected that it was due in part to how close in proximity to her he was. “It’s fine, I…. yes, sir.” She cleared her throat, willing the burning in her cheeks to subside. “It’s a holotape he made me. Sometimes I just need to…. hear his voice. My son’s, too.” She glanced down at her feet.

“Very understandable,” Maxson commented calmly as he leaned onto the railing next to her, looking to the sky as she had been. She turned and stared as well, grateful for a chance to not have to look him in the eyes. She worried his gaze would pierce through her.

“...You know, the night sky is actually a lot more impressive now that it was before the war,” Nora noted after a moment, after she’d calmed down a little. Maxson glanced to her. “Back then, all the city lights made it harder for you to see the stars. They called it ‘light pollution’.”

“...It is quite magnificent,” Maxson admitted after a pause, bright blue eyes still staring into Nora. She shivered slightly, and looked away. They shared a few more moments in silence, and she suddenly wondered why the Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel bothered to keep her company.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep, sir?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he replied, a single soft chuckle escaping his lips. The sound made something in Nora ache. “When I can’t sleep, sometimes I like to get some fresh air. It seems as though I’m not the only one with that idea tonight.”

She nodded. “Nowadays, I have a hard time sleeping in enclosed spaces,” she admitted sheepishly.

“Also understandable.” He pulled out a pack of cigarettes. After offering one to her, which she declined, he lit and took a deep drag. She smoked sometimes, but it made it harder to travel around to be out of breath all the time. After blowing the smoke away from them, he turned himself to face her again. “How are you adjusting, Knight?”

He spoke in that soft, intense voice again. She swallowed deeply. Her mind was screaming at her, but she couldn’t make out the words.

“....Usually a lot better,” she offered softly, unable to meet his gaze. “Nate was.... I.... We didn’t marry for love, but he was my best friend. I miss him a lot.”

He frowned. “But you had a child with him?”

“It wasn’t our intention, it was just a one-time thing.” Why was she telling him this? “But back in the pre-war days, if you got pregnant, you got married. To do otherwise was an unthinkable shame back then. It was Nate’s idea. He saved me a lot of grief,” she laughed sheepishly. 

She couldn’t believe she was actually telling him this.

Maxson nodded, taking in her words. He flicked the butt of his cigarette down into the ocean. “He sounds like a very important person to you. And a very good man.”

“He was. He always put everyone else’s needs before his own.” Nora sighed deeply and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, Maxson seemed closer to her than ever, towering a whole head over her. He wasn’t that tall, especially compared to Danse, but he had such an imposing, broad air about him.

Heaven help her, she was close enough to reach out and touch his scar.

As if on the same wavelength, he reached out, taking her hand in his. He gave a gentle squeeze as he closed his eyes. “May his soul be at peace.” He then pressed a dry, chaste kiss to her knuckles, releasing it after.

Nora’s throat was dry. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, and she knew her face had to be red as bricks. As Maxson looked to her, she matched his gaze, her soft brown eyes and his icy blue. They stood in silence, watching each other. After a moment, she finally found her voice.

“Elder Maxson, I….”

The loud whir of a vertibird docking startled her. She glanced over at the dock, then back to Maxson, but the moment was over. His intense, steely demeanor was back. 

“We don’t usually have flights out this late unless it’s a recon team. I need to attend to this,” he said as he turned his cold gaze to the loading bay.

She nodded, pushing past him in the opposite direction, willing her face to return to its normal color. “Of course.”

“Try to get some sleep, Knight.” 

“You as well, Elder,” she responded meekly as she excused herself and hurried back to her barracks, face burning and thoughts frazzled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks to everyone who's left kudos and comments so far! I really appreciate it. This is my first time uploading anything to AO3, or even making my fics public in over..... like, 10 years, haha. This work is already almost finished, I'll be uploading slowly as I work on the final few chapters, and once I'm happy with them, I'll upload everything at once. If you have any questions, notice any grammatical errors, or just want to chat, i'm also available on tumblr @ thenukacolachallenge as well. Thanks again and enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

Nora supposed it was probably a good thing that she had been granted leave from the Prydwen as she saw fit for the next few weeks to gather supplies and prepare for the Glowing Sea trip. As much as she enjoyed being around the other soldiers, and definitely enjoyed the showers, she much preferred being on the ground. Besides, she felt as though it would be in her best interests to spend some time away from Elder Maxson. Although she enjoyed the time she had spent with him thus far, she’d discovered very quickly he distracted her. A lot. She needed to focus on finding Shaun, he came before anything else. He would always come before anything else.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own, soldier?” Danse asked her, the two of them standing on the path up to the Castle. She had chosen to take this first day to check in with Colonel Garvey and Major Shaw on how everything was with the Minutemen. Meanwhile, Danse had planned to head straight to Cambridge to begin scouting for excess material for the power armor and blood samples for an anti-radiation compound Scribe Neriah had been working on.

“I won’t be on my own, Danse,” Nora smiled. “I’ll be in a giant pre-war fort surrounded by soldiers. It’ll be fine.”

“I’d only use the loosest definition of the word ‘soldier’ for this undisciplined rabble, but I suppose I’ll have to trust your judgment.” Leave it to Danse to insult the last, best, and only line of defense for the citizens of the Commonwealth. Despite Maxson saying otherwise, she couldn’t be sure the Brotherhood was here to help with anything other than stopping the Institute. They certainly weren’t here to help defend these people against raiders, super mutants, ghouls, deathclaws, yao guai, and multitudes of other threats to civilization. She sighed.

“Talk all you want, Danse, but you know it’s impressive that we retook this place from a Mirelurk Queen with only four Minutemen, and rebuilt the walls here with less than a dozen. Undisciplined we are not and I won’t hear a word of it.” She grinned proudly at him. 

He rolled his eyes in response to her bragging. “Well, at the very least, they have a chance with a real soldier like yourself at the helm.”

Nora stared back at him, momentarily taken aback by the closest thing to a compliment the Paladin would ever give to her men. “That’s…. Surprisingly high praise, coming from you. Thank you, Danse.” She smiled, and patted him on the arm. “Now go on, ya big lug. I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

“Decorum, soldier,” he warned her, though there was no bite to his words. The corner of his mouth lifted in a small smile. “Be safe.”

“You as well,” she smiled back. With that, he turned and headed back to to vertibird parked a few yards away, and she walked through the Castle doors.

Almost immediately upon entrance, she was spotted by their radio broadcaster, a young man by the name of Turner. “Hey everyone! The General is back!” The commotion in the yard became almost unbearable as Nora was immediately swarmed with people all asking questions. “Hey, hey, I’ll answer everyone’s questions as soon as I can, but right now I need to speak with Colonel Garvey. Turner, where is he?”

“I last saw him in your office, General.”

“Alright, thanks. Glad to see you all!” She grinned as the men began to cheer, hoot, and holler for her. There were so many of them now, and she didn’t recognize as many as half of them. It made her a little sad that she’d been away for so long. She made her way to the east bastion, where her office and quarters were located.

As she opened the doors, Preston looked up from his paperwork, doing a double-take as recognition washed over his face. “General! You’re back!” He rushed from his workstation to hug her, picking her up and swinging her around.

“Oh lord, Preston, no! I belong on the ground!” She laughed as he set her down.

“With all that time in that airship you’ve been spending, I don’t know if I believe that,” he chuckled as he returned to his place at the table, gesturing her to take a seat across from him. “So I take it they’re not a threat to the Commonwealth?”

“Nah, they’re on our side. They’re here to help stop the Institute, Pres,” Nora explained. “The Elder himself even told me personally he cared about the people here… Although I think their way of showing that and ours are very different.”

Preston cocked an eyebrow. “Meaning...?”

“Meaning, the Brotherhood’s main goals are to keep dangerous technology out of unsafe hands, not necessarily defend and assist the people directly.” She leaned back in her chair. Even though she considered Red Rocket her home now, the General’s Quarters definitely had a homely feel to them, and it felt good to be back.

“Well, what’s the point in that?” Preston countered, a hint of fire in his words. Nora sighed. “Look, Pres. You live by the Minuteman code of ethics. That doesn’t mean everyone prioritizes those ethics along with you. I definitely think the way the Elder’s soldiers actually TREAT civilians leaves a lot to be desired, but I fully take him for his word. Besides, we need all the help we can get to finally get the Commonwealth out from under the Institute’s thumb, and they can focus on that while we focus on helping people from other threats.”

The Colonel folded his arms across his chest. “You seem to be awfully fixated on this Elder guy.” When Nora blushed and looked away momentarily, Preston balked, reading into her reaction. “You can’t be serious, Nora.”

“Look, Preston, it’s nothing like that,” Nora tried desperately to explain herself. “Elder Maxson is a strong leader. He’s incredibly revered among the Brotherhood. I’m still new to all of this, is it really that wrong to have someone to kind of look up to? To see what a leader is really like?” She hoped he believed her half-truth and left it at that.

He narrowed his eyes, knowing damn well that wasn’t the only reason, but decided to drop it. “Well, for what it’s worth, I think you’re a great General.”

“You have to. You appointed me, remember?” She laughed, and he dropped his stern demeanor, laughing along. “If I’m doing a shitty job, it’s your ass on the line too.”

“Fair, fair. In all seriousness though,” he straightened up as he spoke. “I just don’t want you hanging out with the wrong people.”

“Thanks dad, good talk,” she snorted, rolling her eyes and grinning. He jokingly punched her shoulder, and then they began to talk about how the settlements were doing. The newest, Sunshine Tidings Co-Ops, was flourishing. She had cleared out the ghouls herself with a team, and they had established a supply line to the area, set up defenses, and re-furnished the place. After all that, they’d finally gotten a radio beacon up. Nora had insisted on keeping the bizarre robot, Professor Goodfeels, to improve morale. She was pleased to learn he was still there, and the settlement was doing so well they'd set up their own bar in the communal dining area for traders and scavengers.

“Hey, Pres…” Nora changed the subject suddenly. “Would it be weird if I attended Major Shaw’s recruit training?”

The Colonel gave her a look. “Why?”

“It’s a long story, but it starts with the fact that I found Kellogg.”

Preston balked. “No shit? Was your son with him?”

She shook her head gravely. “No, Kellogg confirmed the Institute has him. We have a lead on a possibly way to get in, but it’s all the way in the Glowing Sea. I need to be in as good of a shape as I can be to face that.”

He stared at her as though she’d told him she wanted to build a rocket ship to the moon. But he agreed. “If you’re going in there, it definitely would help your chances. I’m sure Ronnie wouldn’t mind you dropping in when you’re here, and it might help the recruits, seeing their General training with them. I’ll let her know.”

“Thanks, Pres. You’re the best.”

 

~~~

Nora travelled back and forth between the Castle and Cambridge for several weeks. In between missions to procure supplies, she underwent training with Shaw, and on her days with the Brotherhood, she requested that Danse give her physical drills, which he was more than happy to do. She was pleasantly surprised to notice the beginning of muscle definition on her body, as well as improved stamina.

On one Brotherhood mission while travelling with a Brotherhood Scribe named Roberts, she had heard a loud noise. Realizing it came from the sky, she looked up and saw a bright, flaming object shoot by in the middle of the day. “What the hell?”

“That looked like an aircraft, but…. I’ve never seen one that looked like that before. And it appeared to be on fire?” The scribe frowned.

Nora stared off into the distance, in the direction it had flown. It couldn’t be…. but…. She wasn’t just now finally losing her mind, was she? “Hope you don’t mind, but we’re making a detour.”

“But--”

“If you don’t want to come, go back to the police station. But I need to know what that was.” Nora walked off, and after a hesitant moment, Scribe Roberts followed, readjusting her hat.

It didn’t take them long to start finding debris. As they walked further out, more trees were knocked down in a straight path, some on fire.

Suddenly, Roberts pointed off in the distance. “There!”

As they ran towards it, Nora suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. She was close enough to see it now, and she wasn’t hallucinating, nor losing her mind.

It was an alien spaceship, just like on the pre-war TV shows. It had crashed hard into the ground, flames licking the outer hull and exposed inner workings. The knight and scribe stared for a moment, utterly dumbfounded.

Finally, Roberts spoke. “It… looks like the spaceship on the Zeta Invaders holotape.”

“Yeah,” was all Nora could muster, staring in awe. Then, something on the ground caught her eye. A green… splatter? “Is this blood?”

“It can’t be, it’s green,” Roberts frowned. “Unless…”

She and Nora shared a look, then stared at the splatter again. There was another one not too far. Nora pointed wordlessly. Roberts nodded, and they began to follow the trail of presumably alien blood, all the way to a nearby cave.

Nora held her arm out in front of the other woman, peering inside cautiously. “You should stay outside. We don’t know if whatever’s in here is hostile,” she whispered.

“I’m fully trained in combat, Knight. I’ll be okay.”

Nora nodded once, then the two women slowly walked inside the cave. Inside, she could hear… noises. Nothing like she’d ever heard, like a garbled, made-up attempt at language. Finally, as she peeked around the corner, she saw it.

An honest-to-God little green alien.

It sat, sprawled out in a corner of the cave, chattering into a ham radio. She could see its leg was injured, bent at at an awkward angle and gushing more of that strange green blood. It was humanoid in shape, but a yellow-green color, with large black sclera and sharp pointed teeth. She holstered her weapon as quietly as she could.

“...Hello?” she called to it, walking out with her hands up in a gesture of peace.

Almost immediately, a shot from an energy weapon flew past her face. “Shit! Roberts, cover!” she shouted, dodging out of the way from another blast and readying Righteous Authority. It had moved so quickly she hadn’t even seen it stand. “It’s hostile!”

What happened next was a blur. She and Scribe Roberts both shot at the same time, so Nora wasn’t sure who shot the killing blow, but it flew back into the wall, then slumped over, dead. They stared at it for a long, long time. 

Finally, Nora handed Roberts a vertibird signal grenade. “Tell them to go back to the Prydwen and grab Neriah.” Roberts nodded and walked gladly out of the cave. Nora sighed deeply, and rubbed her temples, slumping down against the cave wall. Of all the things she expected to see post-nuclear apocalypse, the existence of alien life forms was definitely not on that list.

After several minutes, a lancer popped his head in, surveying the scene. He stared at the dead creature, then to Nora, then back to the creature. “You’re fucking with me.”

Nora gave him a look. “What possible reason could we have to make this up? How, even?” The lancer didn’t reply, just shook his head in disbelief and left the cave.

 

~~~

Nora had decided to stay close to the Castle for a few days after that. If the alien had friends, she certainly didn’t want to be on her own in the Commonwealth wilderness when they found her. She definitely knew she didn’t want to be on a giant blimp at that time, either.

After morning training with Shaw and a trip to the communal bath house, Nora had settled into her quarters, starting in on some settlement and supply line reports, when there was a knock at the door. 

“Come in,” she called out, not looking up. The door opened and a familiar voice spoke.

“Get your things, Knight. We’re needed aboard the Prydwen.” It was Danse.

“I’m surprised to see you gracing us lowly undisciplined rabble, Danse,” she teased him gently with a smile. He didn’t return it.

“Hop to it, soldier. We’re to be briefed on the Glowing Sea mission immediately.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty! So now we're getting into the canon divergence part of things. The story's gonna mainly stay true to everything p much up until the end, with a few changes. And, the relevance for adding the alien encounter will be explained later, so stay tuned ;) Thanks again for all the love, y'all. It means a lot!


	6. Chapter 6

Nora couldn’t speak as she and Danse trekked to the power armor bay. Anticipation and dread both churned in her stomach. As they arrived, she noticed Ingram, Neriah, and Maxson already there, waiting for them.

No sooner had they stopped in front of the group that Ingram began addressing them. “So we have all the modifications ready in your suits. They’re fortified against radiation and have better armor to protect against any threats, but that also weighs down the frame. As long as you don’t try to outrun a deathclaw for a full mile, you should be fine. But it’ll be a real pain in the ass to walk in if you damage the actuators, and we can only give you so many units of scrap to fix it with the already added weight, so… don’t do that,” she explained in her usual snark.

Neriah then joined in. “In addition, the blood samples you two have collected for me have made enough of the X-111 compound for a week-long trip. That’s about as much as the two of you could carry in rations as well. Therefore, if you aren’t successful by the end of your week, we need you to get as close to the edge of the Glowing Sea as possible and signal for a Vertibird so we can extract you. We currently do have more teams scouting for supplies just in case multiple trips are needed.”

“However, we are aware the two of you are more than capable to complete this mission within a week’s time,” Maxson finished. Nora noticed he looked more severe than usual, as though he was on edge. “I have full faith in the both of you. If possible, mark any areas of interest that could be of interest to us. We know very little about what’s inside the Glowing Sea, and any possible search-and-retrieve we could do could prove useful.” 

Nora felt a little bit of pride in Maxson mentioning his faith in their team, and entrusting them to a smaller assignment. She looked at him, and he caught her gaze for a quick second. His eyes burned with an emotion Nora couldn’t place.

“Obviously it doesn’t need to be said, but keep a close eye on each other out there. The terrain could be rough, and other than deathclaws and radscorpions wandering around the edge of it, we don’t know what you’ll be facing in there. The last thing we need is to send another team in to retrieve your bodies and power armor suits,” added Proctor Ingram. 

“Your primary mission is to locate and extract information from Brian Virgil regarding the Institute. Anything we can find out is important but the main objective is on how to gain access to the facility itself. You will have forty-eight hours to prepare any gear you’ll be bringing along, and make sure it doesn’t exceed carry weight limit. Proctor Ingram will assist you if needed,” Maxson continued. “That morning at zero six hundred hours, we will insert you into the furthest point into the Glowing Sea that our vertibirds can sustain.”

His hands clenched into fists at his sides. “The seven-day limit is not a suggestion. It is an order and it WILL be followed. We cannot afford to lose either of you on this mission, no matter how important the objective is. Even if you believe yourself to be safe with another day, we cannot take that risk.”

He was worried about them. Nora was touched by the notion. Beside her, Danse saluted in reply, and she quickly followed suit.

“Your orders over the next two days are to prepare yourselves, and visit Knight-Captain Cade for a physical. You are forbidden to do any work aboard the Prydwen that requires heavy lifting, or any intense physical labor. I cannot, in good conscience, allow this mission to proceed if you are injured. We need you at peak performance for this. Understood?” “Yes sir,” Danse and Nora responded simultaneously. Maxson nodded. “Ad Victoriam, soldiers. Dismissed.”

As the group began to disperse, Nora left Danse’s side to catch up with the Elder. “Excuse me, sir?”

“Yes, Knight?” He stared down at her. His ever-present stern frown remained, but she could see the worry in his eyes.

“I was wondering if I could speak to you about a private matter,” she explained. She thumbed the set of holotapes in the top of her bag nervously.

“Yes, follow me.” Maxson walked through the main bay to his quarters, Nora in tow. She noticed her crewmates’ stares and stared at her feet in front of her, ears burning.

She once again sat down at his meeting table. Her mind flashed to the last time she had been here, and her breath caught in her throat, remembering the feel of the Elder’s hand over hers. A month away from him had done little at all to ease her feelings. She thought about him more than she’d care to admit out in the field, in ways she couldn’t even form into words without shame and embarrassment flooding through her.

“I have something…. I’d like for the Brotherhood to hold onto,” she began. His entire attention seemed to be on her. His face was completely unreadable. “In the possible event that some… harm, could befall me out in the Glowing Sea, and I don’t…” She didn’t even want to say the words. “...make it back, I’d like for you to hold onto these for me.” She pulled the holotapes out of her bag, handing them to Maxson. He turned them over in his hands, looking back up at her for an explanation.

“I know….” she paused, and took a breath. Steady, Nora. “That regardless of what happens to me, the Brotherhood is resourceful enough to find a way into the Institute. On the chance that I don’t make it, and you find my son, I’d like for him to have these. That way, he can at least have a way to know what his parents sounded like. How much we loved him.” 

He was quiet for a moment. Then, he nodded, and stood, walking to his shelf and storing the tapes in his tool box. He sat back down. “I will hold onto these tapes for you, Knight. Until you return,” he added in a pointed tone. “And you will. We have prepared you to the absolute best of our ability, and you and Paladin Danse are two of our finest soldiers. When I said the two of you had my complete faith, that was not an exaggeration.”

Emotions welled in the back of Nora’s throat. The stress of the mission and the possibility that she might not come back had frayed her nerves like thread, and Maxson’s praise was almost too much for her. “I…. thank you, sir,” she choked out, voice barely above a whisper. Tears threatened to overtake her. She took another deep breath, shakier this time. “I still sometimes don’t feel I belong here, and that I’m not up to par with my squad. It means a lot.”

“You have no reason to feel inadequate, Knight,” Maxson said, his voice softening. “You are one of our top soldiers. I would not entrust this to someone I did not feel was capable. You’ve accomplished every mission and objective you’ve ever been assigned with flying colors, you’re an excellent fighter, and Paladin Danse has reported you’ve been requesting combat drills from him, even while out on assignment. Do you realize just how many of our disciplinary reports involve soldiers trying to get out of PT while not doing field work? And you’re doing it even when you don’t have to? Your dedication to our cause has been largely unmatched.” His eyes bore into her. “All while running an entirely separate armed force of your own. If I were your enemy, I would consider you a very dangerous opponent.”

Hearing his praises unraveled her nerves further. She could burst into a breakdown at any moment. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she admitted bitterly, shaking a little. A worried scowl flashed across Maxson’s face, and he put a hand on her arm to steady her. She could feel the heat of his hand through her uniform, and she almost shuddered at the small stroke he gave her arm. With her other hand, she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to calm herself. “The only thing I really do for the Minutemen is help build settlements. That’s the only thing I really know how to do, pass on the advice my dad gave me and show people what he showed me. Other people train the soldiers and handle getting the supplies to everyone. I’m flying by the seat of my pants with everything, especially here on the Prydwen. I don’t know the first thing about being a soldier. My husband would have been so much better at this.”

Maxson rubbed her arm gently, dragging his fingers down to the her hand. He clasped the one hand in the two of his, and Nora audibly gasped. “Knight Rogers.” He gave the top of her hand a few strokes with his calloused thumb. She felt like she would burst any second. “You are doing the absolute best you can with the hand you’ve been dealt. Anyone could have accepted their son was long gone, sunk into a depression and just become another casualty of the wasteland. Not only did you refuse to let your child go without a fight, you refused to let the harshness of the wastes defeat you. You’ve provided food, shelter, and safety to complete strangers. You’ve made a life for yourself out here. By far, you are one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, and I’ve met the strongest.” His voice, low and growling, was doing things to Nora. A fire started in her belly and worked its way through her. God damn him, he was so attractive and she couldn’t handle it right now. “You remind me of the man who raised me, Elder Owen Lyons. Dedicated, idealistic, determined and kind enough to assist others who have nothing to offer. You belong here just as much as everyone else in the Brotherhood, if not more than some.”

Their faces had been moving closer, though Nora couldn’t tell if one or both of them had inched closer to the other. She was close enough to smell him, all oil and whiskey and cigarette smoke. It was intoxicating, her brain clouded over with want. Hey eyes flicked to his, icy and blue, to his scar, to his lips…. She could almost…….

“Nora….”

She heard her name on his lips, finally, and she fell apart completely.

A knock at the door startled them both. Nora jerked her hand away in terror - as though he’d hurt her. She wouldn’t meet Maxson’s eyes as she murmured a small “Good night, Elder,” and all but ran out of the door, practically bowling over the scribe that knocked, as well as the large stack of paperwork he carried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I am aware that multiple fic authors have done the "I'm gonna leave my holotape with someone else for Shaun just in case I die" thing. It's an overused trope and I love it. Also, thank you once again for the continued support! I honestly didn't think anyone was ever going to read this and seeing new comments and kudos give me all the warm fuzzies. I hope you continue to enjoy!


	7. Chapter 7

Despite crying herself to exhaustion, Nora didn’t sleep well. However, she felt a little better now that she’d gotten out a bit of the frustration and nerves. Her stomach was still in knots over the expedition, but the mental freak out, as well as the memory of Maxson’s genuine praise, had calmed her a little.

He was was going to be the death of her. She was drawn to him, and not merely for his charisma and fierce determination. He was utterly intoxicating, unlike any man she’d ever met before him. He was so young, and yet so strong, not just in physical skill but also in mental fortitude. He sent her mind into a fog, she couldn’t think, couldn’t concentrate. It was useless to deny her feelings anymore. She replayed those moments again and again in her mind, his hands on hers, his face so close to hers…..

No. She had to have been imagining it. There was no way the Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel himself would be so indecorous, especially not with a lowly rookie Knight like herself. It was crazy to even think about.

But the way he said her name….

She refused to entertain the thought further as she went about her day, confined to the Prydwen. There was no reason to believe Elder Maxson was even remotely interested in her. Surely he had a more suitable consort, or perhaps he was even bound to marry another woman. Nora had no idea how the lineage of an Elder was maintained. And even if he didn’t, it was asinine to think he’d be interested in someone like her, with nothing real to offer the Brotherhood.

It didn’t matter. Nothing would come of it. She needed to focus on her trip to the Glowing Sea and finding Shaun.

That night, a group of Knights and Initiates she had trained with when she’d first been promoted, and had become fast friends with, insisted on having a drink to celebrate her first specialty mission. She made her way down to the lowest part of the main deck, to the recreation area that had been carved out of the storage facility. When she got there, they were all already gathered around a table, beers and playing cards strewn over it. 

“Hey Rogers!” Knight Womack waved her over, tossing her a beer as she came close enough. It was an ice cold Gwinnett Pale. Nora gawked, raising her beer so everyone could see the condensation as she pointed to it. “How?!”

“Flores found a working cooler in the airport! We got it to make some ice and so we have a box full of cold-ass beer,” Womack replied, pointing to the repurposed footlocker at the foot of the table and grinning. Across the table, Knight Flores smiled sheepishly, a rather proud look on her face. Nora twisted the cap off, taking a huge swig as she sat. It was flat after 200 years, but it was great nonetheless. “My god.... Do you know how long it’s been since I had a cold beer?”

“Well, Rogers, we’ve heard rumors, actually…” came Initiate McLaren’s voice from across the table. “Is it true you were cryogenically frozen? And you’re actually from before the war?”

Laughter burst out across the table at the absurdity of it. Nora’s ears burned. How had that gotten out to everyone? The only person who knew was Maxson, not even Cade knew anything about her other than she’d been a vault dweller, which was technically true. “I….” She sighed. “It is.”

Initiate Delecroix stared wide-eyed from across the table. “Wait, so it’s true? Like… Really?”

“Yeah. Really.” Nora tried to act nonchalant about it as she took another swig of her beer. Next to her, Aspirant Petris offered her a hand of her own for the card game, and she politely declined. She had a terrible poker face and preferred to watch anyway. “All the equipment’s still down in Vault 111 if you want to check for yourself. How’d you guys even find out about it anyways? It's not something I talk about all the time.”

“There are no secrets in the Brotherhood, Rogers,” Womack laughed.

“What was it like?” Flores asked. “You know, like before the bombs fell and all?”

 

“It was… a lot more peaceful,” Nora replied. “There were a lot of downsides though. Women weren’t really seen as equal to men, like they are now. It was super taboo to have children without getting married, and it wasn’t until my adult life that they allowed women to serve in the military.”

 

“What!?” Womack and Flores shouted in near unison as all the men at the table laughed. “Are you kidding me? Why? Womack could kick my ass all the way to Ronto and then bench press me with one arm!” McLaren snorted. 

“I know, it was really stupid,” Nora agreed. “But really, pre-war life was incredible. Diamond City used to be a sports stadium. I had my first ever date in the upper stands. And the wildlife didn’t try to kill you. Neither did most of the weather, come to think of it. There were actual seasons, it snowed around Christmas time. And we had actually fresh food.” She made a face.

“Hey, we have fresh food!” McLaren countered. “Wild brahmin and radstag are good eating.”

“She means something you don’t have to literally burn the radiation out of, moron,” Petris said, rolling his eyes. Nora nodded. She had managed to figure out how to make most meals edible, at least. Bloodleaf and tato flowers made fairly decent seasonings, and she’d even managed to make radroach meat edible, by coating it in the powder packet in the box of BlamCo Mac and Cheese and frying it in vegetable oil. Even so, she missed not having to worry about if her next meal would make her sick. And she missed real coffee.

They went on to play poker for several more rounds, the group collectively getting drunker. They continued to ask Nora questions about pre-War life. They were shocked that while dogs and cats had relatively remained the same size, every other wasteland creature had grown or become wildly different. And that deathclaws hadn’t existed.

She watched Womack and Petris exchange looks across the table more than once. Nora smiled, watching it. She didn’t know if anything had happened between the two, but she saw the way they glanced at each other, even when the other wasn’t looking. They made a good couple, she decided, as she cracked open her third beer.

Her mind drifted to the Elder, and a flash of heat drifted across her face. She willed his beautifully intense blue eyes out of her mind, chiding herself mentally.

As if on cue, the conversation turned to rumors of the Elder. This was the last thing she needed when trying to will him out of her brain.

“I wonder if it’s true that the crazy wicked scar he has is from fighting a deathclaw at 13 years old,” McLaren said.

“It is according to Quinlan’s notes on his terminal,” Petris answered, not looking up, his perfect poker face fully intact mid-round. “The High Elders back west are making him write a biography on him or something. You ever read it?”

“No, because we’re not allowed on Quinlan’s terminal,” McLaren countered.

“Yeah, well, that didn’t stop me,” Petris shrugged and the group burst into laughter. “You really should read it though, it’s like a stalker wrote it. ‘The great Arthur Maxson this, the MAGNIFICENT Arthur Maxson that…’” Flores was doubled over and Delecroix was wiping tears from his eyes.

Nora realized she hadn't known his first name until now. Arthur. She smiled. She liked it.

“But,” Petris said loudly to quiet the group, “It does show what a badass he is. Killed his first deathclaw at 13, at 15 he killed the last big mutie leader in the Capital Wasteland, he brought the Outcasts back into the Brotherhood, all before he even became Elder. He’s the descendent of the founder of the Brotherhood himself.” There was a pause and people nodded, taking it in. “Hell, I’d follow him anywhere.”

More nodding. Nora was lost in her thoughts. She thought of tracing her fingers across his scar, his jaw, his chest, whispering his name back to him the way he had to her….

Delecroix accidentally spilled his drink then, and Nora was thankful that no one noticed her blush as she snapped out of her reverie. When he was all cleaned up, Nora thanked them all for a wonderful night and excused herself.

Arthur Maxson.

So his scar had come from a deathclaw too. But so young, Nora thought, frowning as she walked. She wondered if he’d ever had the time to be a child, with all the responsibility being the descendent of the founder must have put on him. She smiled bitterly. Well, not having a childhood was something she shared with him, she thought. Another thing they had in common, at least.

And no wonder he was revered by his soldiers. He had accomplished so much in his young age. And yet, even after all that, he found something to admire about her, if his words to her were true. And she believed they were. Truth be told, she’d believe almost anything coming from his lips. She didn’t know if she’d follow him anywhere, but she knew she’d certainly be open to the idea, she thought to herself as she climbed up to her bunk.

Even so, she couldn’t afford the distraction of the Elder any longer. The Glowing Sea awaited her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry. Jesus.  
> Life happened. But I'm back. If you're still reading, thank you so much. <3


	8. Chapter 8

Nora fucking despised the Glowing Sea.

She’d spent five days in the irradiated hellhole, roaming the desolate wasteland for any sign of doctor Brian Virgil. Along the way they had found scores of ghouls, giant bugs, and even several radscorpions, which were relatively rare elsewhere in the Commonwealth. However, they’d neglected to find a single clue as to where the ex-Institute scientist could be hiding. There weren’t that many buildings left intact to hide in, and they’d explored every cave they’d come across in the terrain. None housed any hints on where to find him.

The only thing that stood out besides the eerie green sky was the large crater off in the distance. Ground Zero for the atomic blast the vault elevator had almost been too late to save her from. It had only occurred to her around day three was that they’d likely have to explore it. That moment was today, day five, as they’d now covered all the ground they could in the corners of the Sea other than the one that housed it.

It was shocking to her how well Danse was holding up without complaining. She was definitely thankful she’d had the foresight to prepare her psychical skill for this, only because if she hadn’t, she’d already have had to go back. The ground was a unique texture, almost sinking into itself as she walked on it, which made every movement that much more difficult. She’d already had to ask Danse to stop for a break more times than she cared to admit. Yet, he’d never tried to push her, or goad her into continuing. He sat there patiently while she caught her breath, and helped her up as soon as she was ready, every time.

After a long climb up the crater wall, they finally made it to the very top before the earth caved back into itself. And what they saw was quite a shock to them.

“Danse, are those… houses?” Nora asked him, shocked.

“I…. believe so, Knight,” he confirmed, although she could tell the implication made him uncomfortable. “We need to get down there and inspect further.”

The closer they got to the settlement in the middle of the crader, the more unnerved Nora became. The ticking of her geiger counter grew insistent the further down they travelled, and the closer she got, she could make out actual people walking below. Actual humans, not ghouls, although she could tell the radiation had taken its toll on them. As they reached the buildings, a voice rang out.

“Stop right there, strangers. You approach Atom’s holy ground. Why? State your purpose or be divided in His sight.” A woman walked out before them. Her eyes were wide and sunken, skin sallow and hair missing in clumps.

Nora decided she’d better take the lead, before Danse said something to offend. He was a soldier, not a diplomat, and at least Nora had her days as a lawyer to fall back on. “We’re looking for a man named Virgil. We were informed his last known location was here in the Glowing Sea. Have you seen him at all?”

 

The woman stared them down confusedly. “Virgil? Yes, we know this Virgil. What is it you want with him?”

“We just need some information from him, ma’am, nothing more,” she tried to assure her. The woman frowned at that.

“In truth, this Virgil has caused some concern within our group. Some believe his presence is an affront to Atom. Though he came to trade with us on a few occasions, we have had little other contact with him. It was quite clear he wanted to be left alone. He is on the south-west side of the crater, living in a cave. I would approach cautiously, were I you. I feel he does not want visitors, and the area is very dangerous.”

“I see. Thank you for the help, ma’am,” Nora said as she and Danse began to walk in that direction. She called after them. “Atom keep you!”

She couldn’t believe there were actual human beings living in ground zero of the very thing that had destroyed her former life. Moreover, she couldn’t fathom that they seemed to worship the very radiation they lived in. She tried not to think about it as they continued their trek, finally on the right track.

The walk to the cave was largely uneventful, but when they reached it, Danse spotted a deathclaw sleeping just outside of it. He held his hand out in front of Nora, then put his finger to his lips. She glanced at it and almost jumped back. She swore her scar ached at seeing those claws again. It was even bigger than the one she’d fought at Concord, and looked like a Glowing One, jet-black hide with ever-mobile patches of irradiated glow. Danse signalled silently for her to aim for its stomach. She nodded, and they both raised their weapons and fired, hoping to startle it away, if not outright kill it before it could react.

It worked. The deathclaw, fast asleep and not expecting two tin-can soldiers with laser weapons, seemed to be taken completely off guard. Their barrage didn’t seem to leave any serious wounds, but the creature retreated from it all the same. They quickly ducked into the cave before it came back.

The cave was dark inside, yet Nora didn’t dare turn on her helmet light. She didn’t want to startle him, or whatever what was in this cave. Lost in her own thoughts and unable to see, she collided with a makeshift noise trap of tin cans hanging from a string. A voice called out from deeper inside, low and rumbling and heading closer.

“Hold it! Take it nice and slow, no sudden moves…”

They inched into the light, and Nora had to immediately throw herself at Danse to prevent him from firing.

It was a super mutant.

“I know you’re from the Institute, so where’s Kellogg, huh?” The creature continued. “Trying to sneak up on me while you distract me? It’s not going to work! I’m not stupid, I knew they’d send him after me!”

At this point, Danse was confused enough at its demeanor and words to stand down, and Nora could finally relax a little, although she still stood in between them. She removed her helmet in the lack of radiation, to make her seem less threatening. “Take it easy, Kellogg’s dead.”

“He’s…. dead?” He sounded genuinely surprised, then angry. “Don’t you lie to me! 

“I’m not lying. I killed him myself. I have his outfit and gun as proof, if you don’t believe me,” she offered. Truth be told, she’d expected that if they managed to find him, he’d need to be convinced they wouldn’t hurt him. She didn’t expect him to have turned into a Super Mutant though, much less a coherent one not hell-bent on killing them.

“Did you really…?” He frowned. “Kellogg was ruthless, there was a reason the Institute used him to do their dirty work for so many years. I knew they’d send him after me; tried to prepare for it… But I still wasn’t sure if I’d make it…. But you. You killed him? Then what do you want with me? Why are you here?”

Danse angrily opened his mouth to speak, but Nora shot him such a harsh look he seemed to think better of it. “Why did you leave the Institute? We know you were there,” she said.

His eyes widened. “You know about the escape?! But how? No. it doesn’t matter. I’m not going back, I can’t go back. Look at me!”

“We just want to know how to get in, Virgil. We’re not here to send you back.”

“....You want to get in the Institute? Are you insane?” He gaped at them. “Nevermind how nearly impossible that is, even if you were to succeed it’d almost certainly end in your immediate death. What reason could you possibly have to warrant that deathwish?”

Nora steeled herself. “They stole my son. I aim to get him back.”

Virgil paused. “Oh…. oh no….” he appeared uncomfortable. She raised an eyebrow. “I… had no idea. I’m sorry. They have taken people in the past, yeah. If your son is one of them, it makes sense. I can help, but… I’m going to need something in return.”

“You’ll be lucky that we don’t paint your brains all over this room,” Danse growled through gritted teeth. Nora elbowed him. “Danse!” She turned back to Virgil. “We could work something out. What do you need?”

He pointedly ignored Danse’s comment. “Before I had to escape, I was working on a serum that could serve as a cure for my…. condition.” Danse froze, and Nora held his arm again to prevent any confrontation. “I wasn’t able to bring it with me. It’s still in my lab and, well…. Look at me. I need it.”

“You mean to say there’s a cure for super mutants and the Institute’s been HIDING it from people?” Nora looked incredulous. Virgil snorted. “Of course not. The virus that makes super mutants, the FEV, has thousands of different strains. This is only for the one we know a cure for,” he explained.

He had gone through such lengths to flee the Institute, Nora thought. He continued. “I need you to find this serum for me, if you manage to get inside the Institute. If you agree to that, I will help you. What do you say?”

“You’ll do as we ask or you’ll die a monster!” Danse shouted, his patience gone. Nora yelled back at him. “Enough, Danse! Virgil, I agree to your terms. You help me, I’ll help you.”

Virgil nodded, still ignoring Danse to converse with the calmer of the two. “All right… all right. Let’s talk details.” He explained that the only way in and out of the Institute was teleportation across what they called the Molecular Relay, and because of that they’d have to find an Institute Courser and kill it to get the relay chip in it’s head. Coursers were very dangerous synth hunters and not to be reckoned with. Nora recalled the imposing Courser who’d taken Shaun in Kellogg’s memories, and shuddered.The easiest way to find one, Virgil said, was to head to the CIT ruins and tune into a certain frequency to track them. That was the easy part. The difficult part would be surviving it.

Virgil was gracious enough, despite Danse’s outbursts, to let them sleep out of the radiation for the night. They set up in the front of the cave just out of eyeshot of the opening. Danse sat with his back against the wall, glowering. Nora knew she had to try to talk to him.

“Paladin Danse, I want to apologize for being insubordinate earlier,” she began, hoping that appealing to his soldierly ways would help. “I understand your feelings towards super mutants, but we couldn’t afford to kill him. You know that.”

Danse bristled beside her. He did know that, and Nora pointing it out did nothing to help his mood. “That… thing, in there, is precisely what’s wrong with the Institute. He played god all his life, and when he started feeling bad, he did it again to himself to run away from his problems!”

“He had to, Danse. Kellogg would have had no problem tracking him down and killing him. He had to make sure he was completely untraceable. Besides, he has a cure. If we find it, he may be able to continue his research and make more for different strains. It would be so much easier to stop the super mutants by turning them back into normal people.”

He stared ahead. “....He could have saved Cutler.”

Nora didn’t follow. “Danse, super mutants killed Cutler, not the Institute. And you’ve told me the super mutants in the Capital Wasteland weren’t made by the Institute.”

“They didn’t kill him, Knight.” He swallowed for a moment. “They turned him into a mutant with the FEV virus. I was the leader of the squad who found his team. I found their bodies, save for Taylor’s, and Cutler himself was one of them. I was the one who had to--” he corrected himself, clenching his jaw. “...it was my duty… to put him down.” 

Nora’s jaw dropped. “...Oh my god, Danse, I’m so sorry.” She put her arms around him in a hug, nevermind how terrible they both smelled from five straight days in power armor. He tensed at her touch but didn’t shrug away. “You did the right thing. Virgil even said so himself. There’s no cure for most strains, even now.”

“I know, but….” Danse sighed. “It’s just a lot to take in. Every day I think of what I could have done differently to prevent their deaths. If I should have requested to join their team.”

“Then you wouldn’t have been here either, Danse,” she replied sternly. “You would have ended up just like them.”

He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, there was renewed fire in his eyes. “Thank you, Knight. You’re right. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

She smiled. Leaning up against the wall next to him, She gently laid her head on his shoulder. “I know what it’s like. I feel the same way about my husband. I always think about what would have happened if I’d been holding Shaun that day instead of him.” she chuckled sadly. “I was just talking about that to M-- someone,” she suddenly corrected herself, “just the other night.”

Danse studied her. “Who? That seems to be a fairly personal sentiment.” When Nora didn’t answer right away, avoided his gaze, the pieces all clicked together for him. “Are you in a romantic relationship with someone aboard the Prydwen, Knight?”

“No, not at all!” she exclaimed, a little too quickly. He stared her down, not believing her or letting the issue drop. She sighed, cursing herself. “Look, I may…. have feelings… for someone, but I’m not interested in pursuing it, or allowing any feelings to jeopardize my goals.”

He nodded after a moment of scrutinizing her, convinced. “That’s very fair. We can’t control who we’re attracted to, but we can control how we handle those feelings.” She could tell he was speaking from experience, but didn’t pry. “For the record, if you do decide to pursue a relationship with someone in the Brotherhood, as long as you are decorous about it, it’s usually not frowned upon. PDA and bringing any lovers’ quarrels to the mission, however, tend to be frequent problems, so be mindful.”

He was trying to give her friendly advice, yet it came off as a lecture. She laughed softly. “It’s not going to happen, Danse, but thank you for the head’s up anyways. Now come on, let’s get some sleep.”

~~~

Before they left the cave to return to the Commonwealth, Nora and Danse had deduced that the trip back would only take them two days. Their spirits were high as they made the long trek back, trying to backtrack from where they’d already been to avoid hostiles. After forty-eight more long hours, they made it back to the insertion point, at which a vertibird signal was lit.

Nora suspected that was what had drawn the deathclaw back to them.

It was the same one from Virgil’s cave, she thought bitterly as it had caught her and Danse by surprise. She’d recognized its hide and a chip in one of its enormous horns. She prayed as she fled the beast that the Brotherhood saw the signal before it could slaughter them.

It caught up to Danse first, swiping at him so forcefully that he lost balance and fell over, hitting his head on a large rock and losing consciousness as the force damaged his helmet. Nora skidded to a stop and her stomach dropped as the Deathclaw towered over Danse’s prone body, turning her weapon on it in an effort to distract it. “Hey fuckface, over here!”

It turned its head sharply at her, slammed its foot against the dirt and roared loud enough to shake the ground beneath her. She continued to aim for its stomach as it descended upon her. She’d hoped she could land enough shots to fell it, but it dodged her lasers with ease, knocking her to her feet and leaning over her to take a killing swipe. 

She had just survived the Glowing Sea, her idea of hell on earth, and NOW she was going to die, by the very creature that had almost taken her head off that first day in the wasteland. She would have laughed at the irony if she had it in her. She closed her eyes and braced for the hit.

Just then, shots from a gatling laser flew into the creature, finally bringing it to its death. Making sure she wasn’t still in the radiation, she ejected her now damaged power armor suit. She turned around to see none other than Arthur Maxson himself.

Nora stared incredulously up at him for a moment, then launched herself to her feet and straight into his arms. She could hear the vertibird flying around their heads, but she didn’t care. She’d never been happy to see someone before in her entire life. She’d thought he’d push her away, but he didn’t, instead pulling her flush to him for a moment and squeezed tight for a moment, releasing her immediately after.

“We need to go get Danse,” he spoke tersely as he signalled the vertibird to land. Nora balked, ashamed she had forgotten her companion, and ran to him after seeing he hadn’t gotten up. She leaned down next to him, taking his pulse, and was relieved to find that he had a strong one. She glanced up at his face and saw the dent in his helmet. “It looks like he got knocked unconscious, but it doesn’t seem like there’s any serious external damage. Still, we need to get him some medical care soon.”

Maxson nodded. He and the lancer helped Danse out of his armor and carried him aboard, then Arthur held his hand out to help Nora up. She graciously accepted, and they flew back to the Prydwen together, heading straight for the infirmary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> First off, to the commenter who asked about Nora potentionally knowing Roger Maxson, I actually really thought about adding that into the story! I decided against it ultimately, but it's very funny you mention it.
> 
> I'm really trying to get the rest of the story finished so I can release the rest of it all at once, but it's fighting me. I'm going to try to keep working on it as best I can before I get caught up. We have a while, I've already started on chapter fifteen, but even so, I've already been working on this story off and on for years, and I feel like I'm almost at the point where I just want to get it finished to be done with it. I do already know what happens at the end at least!
> 
> Thanks again to those of you reading, it really means more than y'all know. Next chapter we're gonna meet an old/new friend. You'll see.


	9. Chapter 9

“I must say, the two of you got extremely lucky,” Cade informed Nora as she sat next to the still-unconscious Danse in the infirmary. “If our lancer hadn’t seen your signal, that deathclaw could have easily killed you before we ever realized you were in danger. However, as it stands, Danse should be almost completely fine once he wakes up. He’ll have to take a few days off to allow himself to recover, but I see no indication of any lasting damage.”

Nora breathed a sigh of relief. “Knowing his work ethic, taking time off will be the hardest part of the whole oreal.”

Cade chuckled in response. “That’s a fairly accurate assessment, Knight. He’ll have to learn to deal with it nonetheless. Now, we need to get the residual radiation out of both of your systems.”

After Nora was administered the anti-rad serum Cade had for her, he dismissed her and she made a quick stop to her bunk to store her gear. She made sure all the information she had found in the Glowing Sea was backed up to her Pip-Boy’s database, then headed to Maxson’s quarters to relay it to him. Her stomach churned with anticipation as she rapped lightly on his metal door.

“Come in.”

She noticed several things as she walked into his room. The bottles of alcohol that had once littered his room seemed nowhere to be found at first, until she noticed them all, empty, at the bottom of his trash can.

The second thing she noticed was the two of them weren’t alone this time.

A girl was sitting in a chair pushed away from the table. Her auburn hair was pulled away from her face in a messy bun, a few strands dangling errantly in front of her. Her eyes were small, almond-shaped and an intense shade of green. She appeared to be just barely older than Maxson. She wore the standard Brotherhood uniform, in an all-black color scheme, as well as a Pip-Boy on her left arm. She was frowning disapprovingly at Maxson, reclining on the chair’s hind legs, fingers laced behind her head.

“Can this really not wait?” She had a soft accent not unlike Proctor Quinlan’s. Nora recognized it as an English accent. Other than this girl and Quinlan, she hadn't heard that since before the war.

“It can’t,” he responded, glancing back at her. “Information regarding the Institute is highest priority right now, even including your…. unique situation.”

The woman rolled her eyes. “Seriously? Fine. Christ. Hurry up, then.”

“Um….” Nora was unsure how to proceed. She was utterly surprised he allowed her to speak to him that way. Arthur motioned for her to have a seat, ignoring the woman in the corner. She set her pip-boy down on the table and began to go over the details of the mission with the Elder, all the locations they had marked, the existence of the Children of Atom in ground zero(which didn’t seem to surprise him nearly as much as she’d thought it would), of Virgil, and everything that happened with the Deathclaw. The woman played a game on a Pip-Boy of her own with the volume down, clearly wanting to finish her conversation with the Elder and leave.

As the two reached the end of the debrief, Maxson’s door suddenly slammed open without warning. Danse stumbled in, looking a little out of breath. He was out of his Power Armor(and still impressively tall, she thought to herself), wearing his uniform. “Elder, I apologize for being late, I was--” he stopped himself suddenly as he noticed the young woman in the corner. His eyes widened and he stepped back, visibly shocked. She locked eyes with him, calm yet intense, putting her chair back down on all fours as she kept his gaze.

Nora watched nervously between the two of them, not understanding what was happening. After a painful silence, Danse spoke.

“What the HELL is going on?”

“Decorum, soldier,” Maxson warned.

The woman smiled sadly, and the gesture didn't reach her eyes. “Yeah Eric, watch your goddamn mouth,” she joked.

...Was Danse’s first name Eric? Nora tried to think. She didn’t even know if he’d told her his name at all.

He was visibly pale, jaw dropped, staring at her as though he’d seen a ghost. “No…. What? No…. It can’t…. YOU can’t….” he stepped back again, shaking his head, then turned on his heel and ran out of the room, not bothering to shut the door behind him. Almost immediately, the woman was on her feet, shoving the chair roughly to the ground behind her.

“Goddamn it,” she muttered to herself as she sprinted out the door. Before she left, she pointed a finger back at Maxson. “We’re not finished! As soon as I’m done dealing with him, I’ll be back for you, pipsqueak!” With that, she slammed the door behind her.

…Pipsqueak? 

Maxson sighed, running a hand through his hair in a visible sign of frustration. “I meant to introduce you once our business had concluded, but that was Sentinel Taylor. She has… a very divorced grip from our rules and code of conduct.”

But…. wait….

Nora sat up. “Sentinel Taylor? The one who went missing on the mission Danse told me about?”

“So he told you,” Maxson murmured. “Yes. She’s very well-known in the Capital Wasteland, mostly as the Lone Wanderer. She recently returned to our headquarters in the Capital Wasteland and asked to speak to me immediately. She was flown out to the Prydwen earlier today and we’ve been catching her up to speed.”

“But…. why was she gone so long? Where was she?” Paladin Danse had told her himself that she wasn’t the type of person to leave for that long, at least not without an explanation.

“It’s…. a very long story,” he sighed, standing up as began to pace. Nora noticed he had a habit of doing so when deep in thought. “As a matter of fact, her story would have been laughed out of the Citadel had it not been for your discovery with Scribe Roberts.”

The alien? “...What?”

He took a breath. “Her official story is that one of her squadmates, Paladin Cutler, sacrificed himself so she could escape the super mutants on their mission, and on her way back to a checkpoint to notify the Brotherhood, she was… abducted by extraterrestrial life forms.” Maxson sounded as though he wouldn’t believe it had he not seen proof with his own two eyes. “She was cryogenically frozen for the last five years, and woke up a month ago on their spacecraft. She and a few other prisoners staged a coup, destroyed their forces, and overtook the spacecraft for themselves, after which she discovered a way to return to Earth.”

Nora was speechless. A month ago, if someone would have told her that story happened to them, she’d have laughed at them. But now….?

“That’s… a lot to take in,” she finally admitted. Maxson nodded, taking his seat across from her. He offered her a cigarette, and she accepted, with him leaning forward to light it for her. As she watched him, she noticed they were alone in the room again. She blushed, thinking of that moment in the field. “Definitely explains Danse’s reaction.”

“Taylor, Cutler, and Danse were all very close,” Maxson recalled. “I remember him being devastated after coming back from the recovery mission. It happened before I became Elder, but Taylor and I had known each other since I was a child. I felt sorrow when she turned up missing, but what I felt was nothing compared to what he went through when he lost both of his closest friends. I can’t even imagine what he must be feeling right now.” He leaned back in the chair.

Nora was silent for a moment. She remembered the bitterness in the Paladin’s voice when he’d told her about Taylor and Cutler to begin with. She set her cigarette down in the ashtray. “Should I go check up on him, or…?”

“I don’t think that will be necessary. I’m certain Taylor will be able to calm him down,” he responded. “And I’m sure if something comes up regarding his injuries, she is more than capable of taking care of him. Speaking of which,” he leaned forward in his chair again, eyes fixated on her, “How are you? Were you hurt in the deathclaw attack?”

“Cade said I may be sore for the next week or so from being thrown to the ground, but other than that I’m completely fine. Thanks to you, Elder,” she added, and he nodded curtly to her, still gazing directly into her.

She had a question that had been burning in the back of her mind since that moment just outside the Glowing Sea, and she decided to finally bite the bullet. “If I may, sir… Why did you come on the mission to extract us?”

She couldn’t read his expression. “It is my duty as Elder to ensure my soldiers return safely.” She persisted. 

“But you don’t personally pick up every every recon team. What was different this time?”

“As I said earlier, information regarding the Institute is the Brotherhood’s current top priority.”

“So you couldn’t wait an hour or two for us to return?” Nora wasn’t buying it.

Arthur stared ahead. He was fidgeting slightly, Nora noticed, and it made her feel a bit wary. She’d never seen him fidget. Finally, he exhaled, and closed his eyes. “I couldn’t afford to lose you. ...Either of you.”

He paused a little too long in between the two thoughts, and Nora knew. She knew why he hadn’t pushed her away in the field, why his hand always seemed to find hers, why his eyes were always fixed on hers. She watched him in wonder, as he opened his eyes and glanced up to her. He noticed her expression and the beginnings of a flush spread across his cheeks. He cleared his throat. “We need our best soldiers with us if we’re going to be taking the fight to the Institute,” he tried to explain.

She smiled, nodding. “Of course, sir.” She put out her cigarette and stood. “If we’re done, I’d like permission to take leave to check on Paladin Danse and Sentinel Taylor. I understand they don’t need it, but I’d like to make sure for myself.”

“Yes, Knight, that will be all. When you find the Sentinel, instruct her to return.” He stood as well, a slight blush still dusting his cheeks.

Nora walked over to his side of the table. Maxson looked surprised at her sudden forwardness, but didn’t move away. She closed the space between them, pressing her palms against his chest as she stood on tiptoes and kissed him.

She felt him freeze below her and was momentarily worried she’d made a grave mistake, but then almost immediately he put one hand around her waist and pulled her tight to him, leaning into her lips. His other hand wrapped around the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. She she made a small contented noise as his tongue pushed her mouth open, exploring hers as she melted into him. They both finally had to pull away to catch their breath.

They watched each other for a moment, chests rising and falling gently now. He lifted his hands to her face, and pulled her lips up to his again. He kissed her gently this time, and the intimacy of it had Nora trembling. He pulled away from her, stroking her cheek with his thumb. He gazed into her eyes, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile.

“As much as I would rather stay here and enjoy the… pleasure of your company,” Maxson murmured into her ear as he pulled her into his arms again, “I really do need to finish bringing the Sentinel up to speed.”

“I understand,” she replied, resting the side of her face in his chest. They separated, and he looked down at her. For the first time ever, he seemed to be nervous.

“That being said, I…” he cleared his throat and looked away. “...would like to continue this. At some point. I, ah.... don’t know when, I don’t have a lot of free time…” Nora couldn’t help but think how handsome he was when he was flustered. “...but, I would enjoy spending more time with you. If you’d have me.”

“Of course… Arthur.” She was suddenly nervous at using his first name, but she didn’t need to be. The fire in his eyes was all she needed to see he didn’t mind at all, as he closed the distance between them again and pulled her in for another deep, passionate kiss.

As much as she had no desire to be anywhere but in his quarters, Nora knew she couldn’t keep him any longer. She pulled away, but not before Maxson had planted a soft kiss to her forehead.

She couldn’t help but keep her eyes locked to his as she closed his door. Suddenly aware of the heat in her cheeks, she pressed the back of her hands over them in an attempt to cool them as she made her way up to the flight deck, to get some fresh air before going to find Danse and Taylor.

She didn’t have to look hard. The Sentinel was out on the deck, staring out into the ocean below them. Danse wasn’t with her. “Um, Sentinel Taylor?”

Her eyes snapped up to Nora. “Evelyn. Not Sentinel Taylor. I’m not into the titles. Although, I do go by Evie if I like you enough.”

“Oh, okay. Sorry,” she apologized quickly, and Evelyn gave a sharp laugh.

“You’re Eric’s recruit, huh?” She smiled at Nora. “Is he still unnecessarily formal all the time for no reason?”

Nora couldn’t help but be impressed that there was finally someone willing to voice how ridiculous it was. “In all honesty? Yeah.”

Evie laughed again. “I figured. Some things don’t change. Course, some do. I’m still floored at the fact that Arthur Maxson of all people is the Elder now.”

Nora watched her curiously. “Why is that?”

“I knew him when he was a little snot-nosed kid. He was the shyest, weirdest child I’d ever met in my life,” she explained. “He’d just recite the Codex directly in front of you no matter what you’d be talking about, speaking super-formally. People keep telling me he’s changed, and I certainly know he has, I was still around when that deathclaw nearly took his head off. But it’s just bizarre to see him in charge of everything.”

“He was weird?” She thought of the charismatic fire he had, and the effect he had on her, and couldn’t imagine it.

“To be fair, he didn’t really have a chance to be a kid.” Evelyn played with a strand of hair that had popped out of her messy bun. “He was the only child at the Citadel back then. The Brotherhood started out west, and when Elder Lyons travelled out east to the Capital Wasteland, his mom sent him with, to build character or some stupid shit,” she scowled. “As if a kid needs to be away from his parent like that.”

Nora thought of Shaun, and her heart hurt. Would he be the same way when she found him?

“I think it was also because she didn’t want him getting used as a political pawn in western Brotherhood struggles, but even Lyons couldn’t stop that,” she continued, a bit bitter. Nora suspected that Evelyn didn’t really care for the Brotherhood’s ideals, which suited her just fine. She had some concerns about them as well, and it was refreshing to talk to someone who didn’t blindly worship them… as much as she did like Arthur. “He is the last descendent of the founder, after all. And now he’s spearheading this campaign against former humans and it just seems kinda fucked.”

“Former humans?”

“Yeah, ghouls and super mutants were both once people. I always hear the Brotherhood say shit like, ‘Oh, they’re an example of mankind’s folly, blah blah,’ but if you ask me, they’re nothing more than the victims of it. Yeah, they’re kinda gross-looking and they attack indiscriminately, but that’s just what happened to them. They had nothing to do with it.” Evelyn glanced over at her. “Sorry, I tend to rant a lot. If you’ve been indoctrinated already, pretend I didn’t say anything.”

“No, honestly, I agree. I, uh, was actually alive before the war. It’s honestly still a little unnerving to me to kill ghouls if I think about it too much.” She recalled the time her pip-boy had recognized her pre-war neighbors as feral ghouls, and shuddered.

“Yeah, Maxson told me about you. That’s fucking rough,” Evelyn murmured. “I grew up in a vault myself, and travelled to quite a few vaults throughout the Capital Wasteland. They were all fucked-up social experiments that usually ended with everyone dying terribly. Things like that are the reason I stayed with the Brotherhood, despite all the xenophobia and horseshit. The last thing the wasteland needs is people like that gaining power again.”

Nora watched Evie as she talked. She was so young. Almost everyone she’d met post-war was, all so young to have gone through so much. 

“At any rate, it’s nice to meet you and all, the pipsqueak’s felt it prudent to put me in charge of you and Eric’s Institute spec ops team, so we’ll be working together to take those Institute assholes down.” Evelyn grinned. “Don’t much care for them. Met a guy from the Institute once and he was a real piece of shit.”

“You met someone from the Institute?”

“Yeah, he was the… charming gentleman in charge of missing synths,” Evie said, rolling her eyes. “They called them ‘androids’ back then, but that’s neither here nor there. He had tracked a runaway all the way to a settlement on the Potomac then lost him. The runaway ended up being the head of security for the entire town and gave me permission to put him down. It was me and the entire security team, versus him and his one Courser buddy.”

Nora perked up. “He had a Courser with him?”

“He did, which is why I’m assuming the pipsqueak wants me helping the two of you out. ‘Course, this was years ago, he was an early model and didn’t have all his toys due to being so far from home, but he was a tough fight. No telling what to expect with an Institute Courser now.” With that, Evelyn turned. “At any rate, I really do have to finish my conversation with our child emperor. We’ll get into the Institute in no time. Speak soon!” Before Nora could speak, she was already up the stairs to the command deck.

Nora sighed, wishing she had another cigarette, as she went to check on Paladin Danse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added one of my Lone Wanderers and gave Danse a first name. Dude looks like an Eric. oh yeah also the two doofs kissed YAY! thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

Nora was confined to the Prydwen and Airport for the next week or so while Danse recovered. She spent as much time with him and Evelyn as she could, impatiently waiting to get back in the field. She was so close to getting Shaun back, she could practically taste it.

She was also antsy to get off the ship for other reasons. Arthur had been terribly busy and she hadn’t even seen him late at night around the Prydwen, and the hum of anticipation at seeing him again was eating away at her nerves. She felt like a teenage girl with a crush again and found herself unable to concentrate, the thought of being so near to him and yet so far away driving her mad.

Evie and Danse didn’t help, either. She enjoyed the young girl and her stories, but she had a rather inflammatory sense of humor, and seemed to delight in pushing the Paladin’s buttons. They squabbled like a married couple, but when they thought no one was looking, she noticed their small signs of intimacy. The last thing Nora wanted to be was a third wheel… or get either of them hurt so soon to being reunited.

That was why after a brief trip to the airport one morning, she snuck away to the CIT ruins to take on the Courser herself.

She arrived at the old university building around early afternoon. Taking a small break to check her surroundings, she looked down at her pip-boy. All she had to do to begin the search was turn the radio station to the lower end to pick up the frequency.

She took a deep breath and switched the dial.

“Going somewhere?” a familiar lilt spoke behind her.

Nora jumped, caught off guard. She turned and saw none other than Sentinel Evelyn Taylor in her power armor, carrying her helmet at her side. “Oh! Um...”

Evie cracked a knowing smile. “You’re not as slick as you think you are. Eric may be blind to anything not on his height level, and the rest of the Brotherhood may have their heads up their asses, but I pay attention sometimes.”

Nora sighed. She’d been caught. “I apologize, Sentinel.”

“I’ve already told you, none of that formal bullshit,” Evie waved her off. “Look. I’m not mad. Lord knows I’ve snuck off to do my own thing plenty of times. My only question is, do you honestly think you could take a Courser on your own?”

Nora was quiet for a moment. Having nothing else to do while waiting, she’d been training nonstop in her preparation. “...Yes.”

Evelyn stared her down. “Then let’s do it. Right now. Let’s find this asshole and get our chip.” Nora balked a little. “Are you…?”

“Yes, I’m absolutely serious. If you know you’re ready for this, then let’s get it done. You’ll have me at your back, at least.” Evie grinned. “I never did like to wait to be cleared for something when I knew I could take care of it myself, so I’m not gonna subject you to that red tape brahmin shit.”

The two of them then began to follow the signal Nora’s pip-boy put out. Other than a minor scuffle with a mirelurk, the trip was largely uneventful as the pair were led to a building that their pip-boys labelled Greenetech Genetics.

“Some of the notes I have from snooping around everyone’s terminals on board say that this place is a hotspot of Gunner activity, just as a heads-up,” Evelyn warned. “From what I remember, Gunners were born from the remnants of an old mercenary company out in the Capital Wasteland called Talon. They’re dangerous and ruthless. They’ll even take hits out on children and the injured, if the price is right. Be on guard.”

Nora nodded. She was more than ready. 

They entered the building, stepping lightly, weapons out. A sweep of the first floor revealed a Gunner corpse and not much else. It was only when they walked the stairs up to the second floor that they received a clue.

“The Courser’s on the second floor, kill on sight. Sent reinforcements to the lobby in case there are more,” a voice blared over the building’s intercom system. 

“Shit,” Evelyn whispered, almost inaudible. She pulled her weapon, a large Tesla Cannon, from off her back. Nora had seen it in action during test fire practice at the airport. Evie had bragged about getting it from the assault on Adams Air Force Base. It was an impressive weapon, but impractical for close quarters. Nora watched as she considered it, then shook her head, reattaching it and pulling out a lever-action rifle. She’d heard Evie call it “Backwater” once. Nora pulled out the Righteous Authority and Nate’s old combat knife.

They didn’t have to wait long for some action. As the reinforcements from the lobby poured into their area, a gunfight broke out. Above them, the loud blasts of a missile launcher shook the floor.

As Nora took care of the last Gunner and turret, Evie grabbed her Tesla cannon and pointed to the floor above them, where the missile launcher was. She fired, and the Gunner holding the missile launcher fell all the way down to the first floor, dead. “Don’t want to have to deal with that later.”

“What’s going on down there? How many are we dealing with?” Came the voice over the speaker.

“Oops. Didn’t mean to get them onto us.” Evie grinned sheepishly as she put the cannon away.

They fought their way up the building as the Courser also continued his climb. The Gunners were hardly a match, being the victims of an impromptu pincer attack. The voice on the intercom grew more agitated the further up they travelled.

“The courser’s after the girl. Anyone still alive needs to get up to the top floor immediately. That’s an order!”

A girl? If the courser was after her...

They finally fought their way through the last of the Gunners, taking the elevator up to the very top of the building. As they continued to ascend the stairs, they heard the remaining Gunners pleading for their lives, and the Courser killing them one by one as they refused to give him the password to the door that, presumably, contained the girl he was after.

When they arrived, he was waiting, his gun pointed on them.

“Are you here for the synth?” He asked. He had on the same black uniform as the one Nora saw in Kellogg’s memories, but otherwise looked like a normal, unassuming human. She shuddered.

Evie looked less than impressed. “Actually, we’re here to pick up an order. Two large pepperoni and a calzone, name’s Fuck You?” she supplied.

He ignored her joke. “If you’re not here for her, then you’re here for me. What do you want?”

“That chip in your neck just looks so shiny. I have to have it,” she deadpanned in response.

“That, you cannot have.”

With that, he pulled out a stealth boy, and a second later, he disappeared, and shots rang out.

Nora made a grave mistake in not waiting for a full team. Even with Evelyn’s help and after the cloaking wore off, he was inhumanly strong, agile, and deadly with his Institute-issued laser rifle. He seemed to sidestep her bullets like the deathclaw in the Glowing Sea had. She suddenly noticed him pull something out of his pocket, and lobbed it through the air.

“Pulse grenade! Evie, watch out!” She shouted as a warning. Evie didn’t have time to dodge, so she tried to eject herself from her power armor to avoid the worst of blast. But it went off as the armor began to open. The power armor, already damaged, shorted out, and Evie screamed in pain as the electricity surged through her body.

The courser walked calmly toward her, a blank expression on his face. Nora had to do something to stop him from killing her while she was paralyzed. She snuck behind him, combat knife poised, then ran and jumped to pounce on him.

He turned and caught her by the throat in mid-air. Feeling her air pathways close as his hand constricted, she dropped her knife to the floor and clawed desperately at his hands in an attempt to free herself. He dangled her over the balcony. “I believe this has gone on long enough.” His hand gripped tighter, and starved of oxygen, Nora’s vision blurred around the edges as she struggled, gasping in vain.

Just then, the Courser’s grip loosened, and Nora tumbled several stories below as Evie had managed to fight through the pain to break free of her power armor, pick up Nora’s knife, and stab the Courser in the throat while his back was turned. Evelyn reached for her hand but missed it. “NORA!”

Her body landed with a sickening thud.

“Fuck!” Evie exclaimed as she rushed down the stairs to Nora’s prone body, cursing the entire way down. Upon reaching her, she checked the woman’s pulse. Weak, but still there, just barely. She gingerly pulled the girl over her shoulders, pulled her up to the roof, and lit a vertibird signal. She set Nora down softly and went to retrieve the Courser chip and deal with the synth woman still trapped there, before the Brotherhood killed her.

“Hello?” The woman behind the glass tried to get Evelyn’s attention as she pulled the chip from the still-warm corpse.

“Not trying to be an asshole, love, but no time for introductions, the Brotherhood of Steel will be here soon and they don’t take kindly to synths. How do I get you out?” Evie walked up to her.

The girl pointed to a faraway toolbox under the stairwell. “The password for the computer is in there.” Evie retrieved it and quickly typed it in, and the door to the girl’s makeshift prison swung open. “Thank you for saving me.”

“Yes, yes, pleasantries and all that,” Evie hand-waved. “I’m serious. You need to get out of here now. If you haven’t already ran into the Railroad, they can help you further. Make your way to Bunker Hill and find Old Man Stockton. No matter what he says to you, you have to respond to the code-phrase ‘Mine is in the shop’. Do you understand?” The synth didn’t respond save for a nod. “Good. Need any supplies for the road?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“Very well. Godspeed, off you go then!” She shooed the girl down the stairs, then returned to the roof just in time to see the vertibird land.

~~~

“What do you mean, a spec-ops mission went south at Greenetech? I didn’t authorize a spec-ops mission there,” Maxson hissed to Kells.

“I don’t know any details beyond that, sir,” Kells responding, back rigid in a salute. “That was all I received from the lancer, save that Sentinel Taylor and Knight Rogers were involved.”

At her name, Arthur’s blood chilled.

“The vertibird will be docking soon, so you can ask them yourself. Well, Taylor, anyways. We’ve been informed Knight Rogers was gravely injured.”

The Elder was silent for a moment. Then, he nodded to Kells. “Thank you. When they return, instruct the Sentinel to report to me immediately. And have Cade report to me when the Knight’s condition is stabilized. That will be all.” Kells nodded and returned to his watch aboard the flight deck, closing Maxson’s door behind him. As soon as he knew the man was out of earshot, Maxson upended a chair in rage, running his shaking hands through his hair.

The one thing he had told her was that he couldn’t afford to lose her. And now she was hurt. ‘Gravely injured.’ The words rang in his head, and he went to his liquor cabinet.

He was on his third shot of vodka when Evelyn knocked on his door.

“Before you start in on me,” Evelyn began, but Maxson’s rage wouldn’t be quelled.

“Be quiet, Sentinel,” he seethed. “I want an explanation of why the two of you DELIBERATELY disobeyed direct orders and went to secure the Courser technologies when you were instructed to wait for Paladin Danse’s recovery, right now!”

“She left to go fight it on her own.” Evelyn could see he was upset for a reason other than dealing with insubordination, so she kept her tone controlled and bit her tongue. “I saw her sneak off from the airport and decided to tail her. When I realized she was going after the Courser on her own, I intervened, but she assured me she was prepared, so I allowed her to continue. We cleared the building without incident until we reached the Courser itself. We gravely underestimated its strength, and I fully admit fault there. It damaged my power armor and I was trapped. As it approached to kill me, she tried to sneak up with her knife, but it caught her by the throat and dropped her over the railing about two stories below.”

Maxson felt the wind get knocked out of him at the mention of what happened to her. Seeing his pained expression, it finally clicked for Evelyn why he was so on edge.

“I accept full responsibility for our team’s failure, Elder,” she murmured in a rare show of decorum. “I should have recognized that neither of us was ready for that fight and made a stronger effort to deter her. The blame rests on me, not her.”

Arthur didn’t care whose fault it was. “...How is she?”

“...Not well, sir,” Evelyn admitted, hanging her head. “She kept pulse the entire flight, but it’s weak. She has a lot of laser burns from the fight, and she was choked to unconsciousness and sustained severe injuries from the fall. I made sure she made it to the infirmary before coming in. Cade didn’t look like it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle, so I think she made it just in time.”

Maxson nodded, only halfheartedly in the conversation.. “...Very well, Sentinel. Given that you actually completed your task, I’m inclined to be lenient. However, should anything like this happen again, you will face dire consequences. Do I make myself clear?” Evelyn nodded. “None of you, Danse included, are to leave the Prydwen until I say so. I will meet with you later to discuss your findings. Dismissed.” He turned his back to her.

She didn’t leave. “You care about her.” He didn’t respond. “Don’t beat yourself up over this, Arthur. She’s so much like how I was when I first found the Brotherhood. She just wants to help without other people getting hurt. She’ll be okay.”

“Dismissed, Sentinel,” he repeated himself, louder and angrier than before. Evelyn didn’t try again, instead leaving him to his devices. He took another shot of vodka, waiting now for news from Cade. He’d felt sorrow when his brothers and sisters were injured in battle before. Being the Elder, he felt personally responsible for making sure every soldier was equipped for any situation, and it still stung when it wasn’t enough.

But this was different. Nothing quelled the feeling in his chest, not even the burn of alcohol.


	11. Chapter 11

Nora was surrounded by an ocean of darkness for what felt like an eternity. Throughout it, a dull pain lingered throughout her. She could occasionally hear muffled voices or feel gentle hands on her arm and hand, straining to open her eyes with no success, succumbing back into the darkness.

Until finally, she awakened with a gasp. 

Struggling to sit up, she looked around, taking in her surroundings, and discovered she was in the infirmary aboard the Prydwen. Her body screamed in protest amid her movements, and she hissed. A soft, accented chuckle came from beside her.

“Easy now, champ,” Evelyn laid a hand on her arm from the chair next to her cot. “Don’t move around too much. You had a lot of broken bones.”

“I… What happened? Did we win? Are you okay?” Nora looked dizzily at Evie. She could feel the unmistakable haze of Med-X in her system, a fog clouding the edges of her vision. Evie laughed.

“We won, dear, and I’m fine. We’ve already had a team return the Courser Chip to Doctor Virgil for study, and he provided us with plans to make our own Molecular Relay.”

Nora stared for a moment, dumbfounded. When did they have the time to do all that? “How long have I been out?”

“About five days.”

Nora balked. “What!? No! I have to help make the Relay!” She moved to stand, but her muscles protested, shaking, and Evie gently pushed her back onto the bed.

“I swear, you really are one of Eric’s recruits,” she muttered darkly. “Even if you WERE in any shape to be moving around, the pipsqueak’s confined us to this floating tin can as retribution for fucking off on our own to kill the Courser. I’d suggest you make yourself comfortable.”

Nora’s eyes widened at her mention of Arthur. She remembered their conversation right before their first kiss. Fuck. “Oh god, he must be furious.”

Evelyn snorted. “He was so wound up that had we not killed it, he probably would have hunted it down himself. He’s been hovering over you, you know,” she added with a wink, and Nora knew her face would be beet-red if she had the strength to blush. “Any spare moment he has, he’s in here right next to you.”

She felt guilty for worrying him. That hadn’t been her intention. And Evelyn somehow knew. At Nora’s pause, she cackled again. “And look at you, you’re positively bashful! I knew something was up between the two of you!”

Nora hid her face in her hands. “Can we talk about literally anything else?” she asked plaintively, voice muffled.

“Nope!” Evelyn grinned, nudging her gingerly with her elbow, so as not to hurt the injured woman. “It makes sense though, now that I think about it. The only way that little weirdo would find a woman would have to be from another damn century.”

Nora groaned at her comment. “...How has he been?”

“Not goddamn well,” Evie admitted. “Thank fuck you’re awake, I’m tired of him snapping at everything and buying up all of Teagan’s liquor. As a matter of fact, I do actually have to leave to speak to him, but I’ll be sure to let him know you’re finally awake.” She winked at the girl once more, leaving before she could protest.

Nora sighed. She looked around the room, noticing a small table next to her bedside. On it sat a can of purified water and her pip-boy. After downing the can, she decided to play some of her holotape games. She was deep into a game of Red Menace with the sound of boots against the metal floor interrupted her. She looked up.

It was Arthur, looking relieved and pained all at the same time.

Neither of them spoke as he gently closed the curtain to the infirmary, an indication to not be disturbed, and sat down, taking her hand in his. She couldn’t make eye contact.

“What were you thinking, Nora?” he asked her, his voice gravelly and barely above a whisper. He smelled strongly of alcohol and cigarette smoke, and the darkness under his eyes looked deeper than ever. Evelyn was right, he hadn’t taken it well. A pang of guilt stabbed her heart.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you,” she murmured, lacing her fingers into his. He squeezed her hand, eyes boring into her. He looked like she felt. “I didn’t want Eve-- er, Sentinel Taylor or Paladin Danse to get hurt. I thought I could handle it.”

“And if Taylor hadn’t followed you, you’d be--” He broke off, unable to finish the thought. His hand gripped hers even tighter. He closed his eyes, looking at though he’d been wounded.

“I’m so sorry, Arthur,” she whispered, looking away again and running her free hand through her hair. She turned her face back to his, planting a gentle kiss to her forehead. 

“I know that you’re a soldier, and I can’t keep you out of danger,” he began, forehead pressed against hers. “I can’t give you special treatment or keep you here because of my feelings, that’s not fair to you or anyone else. But please, when I give an order, listen to me,” he pleaded. “I direct all my troops in the safest manner I can possibly conduct. If I direct you to stay here, it’s for a reason. I can’t…” He took a shaky breath. “I meant it when I said I can’t afford to lose you.”

She leaned forward, pushing her lips against his. His hand snaked to the back of her head and gripped her firmly yet gently, not wanting to hurt her. He kissed her fiercely, as though trying to convey how worried he’d been for her. She’d missed the feeling of his lips. When they pulled away, they were both out of breath. They stared into each other’s eyes, until finally Maxson broke the silence.

“As much as I want to stay here with you, I can’t.” He held her hand in his again. “But I’ll be back to visit as soon as I can. Please get some rest, Nora.”

“You too, Arthur,” she countered, eyes fixated on his undereye bags. “Don’t drink yourself sick on my account.”

“Don’t do things that drive me to drink, then,” he replied with a soft chuckle, some of the thick emotion leaving his voice finally. She put her palms on either side of his face and pulled him close, kissing his forehead, down his temple, and over his scar. He made a strangled noise and pulled her in for another deep kiss.

“Excuse me, Elder?” Knight-Captain Cade’s voice came from the other side of the curtain. They immediately separated, Maxson running his hand through his hair to straighten it and Nora willing the sickly flush off her face. “Come in, Cade.”

The Elder spoke to Cade in hushed tones for a moment before taking his leave. He glanced back at Nora momentarily, who smiled at him, and he hesitated a moment before finally exiting. This left Cade to perform a checkup on the battered and bruised Nora. He concluded that she was recovering well, but would still need several more days in the infirmary.

Those several days crawled by, and Nora tried to patiently recover as best she could while confined to a tiny cot in an even tinier infirmary. Cade was usually in there with her, working while she played games to pass the time. On occasion she had visitors, the most prominent of which being Evelyn(who snuck her sweets after she’d complained about the meager rations being served to her in bed), Danse(who chewed her out for disobeying direct orders but was otherwise quite pleased that she was healing up nicely), and Womack and the rest of the poker party group(who bombarded her with questions until Cade lost his patience and ordered them all out).

Arthur came to visit too, usually late at night or early in the morning when they wouldn’t be disturbed by even Cade. Sometimes they sat there in silence, him working on paperwork and her playing on her pip-boy. Sometimes they talked. Sometimes they kissed, a lot more than they probably should with only a flimsy curtain to separate them from the rest of the Brotherhood.

“The Molecular Relay is almost fully constructed,” he told her one night upon entering.

“That’s great!” she smiled at him. He took his usual seat next to her bed. “So how exactly is that going to work? What can I expect?”

“I… have to be honest,” he confessed, glancing down for a moment. “I had been considering… allowing someone else to use it first, to let you heal without running off and getting yourself hurt again.

Nora stared him down, hurt in her eyes. It had been an unspoken agreement since she told him about Shaun that she’d be the one leading the charge against the Institute. He couldn’t be serious. “No. You can’t do that.”

He held a hand up to pause her. “As I said, I had considered it briefly. However, knowing that you alone have more drive than anyone else to get into the Institute, and knowing you’d despise me if I robbed you of your chance to find your son, I realized that would be a foolish mistake. I have decided to wait until you are back to full health to utilize the machine, and allow you to be the one to enter the Institute first.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Nora grabbed him by the lapels of his coat and pulled him towards her, crushing her lips into his, overcome with emotion. He held her close, matching her passion with tenderness, gently stroking her cheek as she pulled away. 

“Come back to me safe this time,” he murmured, brushing her bangs out of the way and kissing the scar on her forehead. She shivered, suddenly feeling self conscious. She pulled her bangs back down to cover it up as Maxson watched.

“Why do you hide your scar?” He asked. “I should chastise you for being out of regulation with your hair, but it seems to bother you.”

“I got it from a deathclaw the day I got thawed out. It’s a reminder that this world is completely different from the one I left,” she said bitterly. He watched her, concern hardening his features. “That even in a suit of power armor and a minigun, I’m not safe. No one is. I hate it.”

He slowly reached out, running his finger across the marred skin. “It shows that despite being from a different era, you’re a survivor. A fighter. I think it looks beautiful.”

Nora couldn’t help but blush at the compliment. “You know… sometimes looking at it reminds me of why I’m so proud of the Minutemen. No one is safe in this world, with all the monsters and people looking to take everything for themselves. But every day, those men and women get up and do everything in their power to make it a little safer.”

“A noble goal,” Maxson agreed. He let out a low chuckle. “You really are like Owen Lyons.”

Arthur’s childhood caretaker. “What was he like?”

Arthur sat up. “Idealistic,” he began after a pause, “almost to a fault. He was shunned by the western Elders for abandoning the mission of the Brotherhood, choosing to help the inhabitants of the Capital Wasteland instead of collecting and confiscating dangerous technologies. He sacrificed outside help from the west coast in favor of protecting the people. It caused a rift in his forces. A group of soldiers deserted one night, setting up elsewhere in the Capital Wasteland and calling themselves the Brotherhood Outcasts.”

“You brought them back to the Brotherhood,” she said softly, remembering the conversation at the poker table.

“I-- well, yes, that was much later.” Maxson looked sheepishly at her knowledge of his accomplishment. “But Lyons himself was a very benevolent man. I was lucky to be raised under the tutelage of him and his daughter Sarah.”

She’d heard of Sarah Lyons, mostly from Evelyn. She spoke very highly of her. “Sentinel Taylor mentions Sarah quite often, but I’m afraid I don’t know much about her either.”

“She was a fighter, through and through.” Arthur stared off into the distance, remembering. “She taught me almost everything I know about combat. Sentinel Taylor taught me the rest. I was very young when she became Elder, after Owen passed. She was killed in combat shortly after taking the mantle.”

“Taylor mentioned to me you used to have a crush on her.”

Maxson cleared his throat as he refused to meet Nora’s amused gaze. “I, well…. I did admire her as a child, yes. Sentinel Taylor had a bad habit of snooping around everyone’s terminals at the Citadel and discovered a… private entry I had made regarding the subject. She was quite relentless about it.” Nora thought about telling him Evelyn still had said bad habit, but decided not to bring it up. He continued.

“Sarah was the only Sentinel we had in the chapter for the longest time, until Taylor if I’m recalling correctly. She led a group of elite soldiers known as the Lyons’ Pride, a sort of specialty team for important missions in the Brotherhood. Taylor became an honorary member herself after leading the Pride in an all-out assault to reclaim the water purifier for the Potomac that had been overtaken by an enemy group known as the Enclave.”

Nora had heard bits and pieces of this story before. As she understood it, Evie’s father, a wasteland scientist by the name of James, had worked on the purifier long before she was born, calling it Project Purity. After his wife died giving birth to Evie, he left with her, choosing to gain entrance to a vault to allow her the chance at a safe, normal life. He never fully gave up on the project though, and when he left the vault, nineteen year old Evelyn was forced to flee for her life into the wasteland, and set out to find him. She found him and helped him with Project Purity, but the Enclave killed him and took the project for themselves. She fought tooth and nail to avenge his death and finally bring her parents’ dream to life.

“After the Enclave regrouped at Adam’s Air Force base, Taylor and Lyons led the final assault, destroying the base and their remnants once and for all. After that, Taylor was made a Sentinel for her service to the Brotherhood and humanity.”

“All that accomplished, as such a young age,” Nora murmured softly. “You as well, Arthur. You’re both incredible.”

“I merely did what was required of me,” he responded humbly. She could tell he was a little bashful regarding his accomplishments.

“So solving years-long interpersonal conflicts and completely eradicating the Brotherhood’s enemies are required? Looks like I have my work cut out for me,” she joked. He laughed and kissed her.

“You’re well on your way with your vendetta against the Institute, truthfully. We hadn’t expected to gain access this early.” The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile as a blush crept onto her face once more. “At this rate, you’ll be a Sentinel yourself before all of this is over.”

Nora decided to finally voice a question that had been nagging at the back of her mind. “...And would I need to give that up to pursue a relationship within the Brotherhood?”

Maxson stared, wide-eyed for a moment, as the implication of what she had said hit him. He suddenly lifted her gently(she wasn’t nearly as sore and injured as she had been) and pulled her into his lap, tilting her head up and kissing his way down her jaw and neck. She gasped, moaning softly. The noise she made spurred him on, pulling her closer.

He suddenly pulled away, aware of the fact that their current surroundings and circumstances would make proceeding very difficult. He held her close for a moment, then placed her carefully back into his cot. She was shaking from exertion and from the fire he’d fanned within her.

“I should let you get some rest, it’s late,” he spoke after a moment, without looking away from her. She knew as well as he did that he’d opened up a pandora’s box, and even through the tight Brotherhood uniform and his coat she’d felt his length beneath her. The thought made her squirm.

He stood, picking up her hand and placing a soft kiss to it. “Goodnight, Nora.” He turned, then paused.

“And for the record, no, you wouldn’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the continued lovely comments and kudos. I've been sick over the past week, trying to continue with the story, and y'alls kind words are helping me push through.


	12. Chapter 12

Today was the day Nora would finally see Shaun again.

Nora kept repeating that to herself on the flight down to the airport, but it did little to settle her stomach. She hadn’t been able to eat breakfast this morning or dinner the night before. She’d been playing scenarios out in her head for the past several days.

Shaun would have no idea who she even was. She would have to infiltrate the most secretive facility in the Commonwealth and convince a child who had no idea who she was to leave with her. The thought of all the panic and pain involved twisted her stomach into knots, over and over.

Elder Maxson seemed to mirror her apprehension. He was visibly tense as Nora walked to the Signal Interceptor, where he stood. Proctor Ingram hovered around, checking power levels and the different machinery. Nora was impressed that she’d managed to craft an Institute-level piece of technology in such a short amount of time.

“As I’m certain you know, Knight, this is the first time we’ve attempted to directly adapt Institute technology,” Maxson began in a low tone. She watched him carefully as he spoke. The dark circles under his eyes had returned, despite her pleas for him to sleep the night before. He couldn’t make eye contact with her for longer than a moment before glancing away. “When we throw that switch, we don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. God willing, you’ll end up inside the Institute, and the mission can continue.”

She could tell this was Arthur’s last-ditch attempt to convince her to let another soldier take her place. But she couldn’t. This might be the only chance she ever got to see her son again. Despite her nerves, her resolve was steeled. “Nothing will stop me, especially now that I’m so close.”

He nodded tersely. “Your confidence is an inspiration to us all, Knight. Now, I want you to listen very carefully. Once you’ve entered the Institute, we expect to lose contact, so it’s imperative you remember everything I’m about to tell you.” Nora nodded, and he continued.

“About ten years ago, the Brotherhood began recruiting civilian scientists from the Capital Wasteland to assist us with various projects. During this process, we were able to obtain the services of Doctor Madison Li, a noted mind in the field of nuclear engineering. Her contributions to our cause were instrumental in maintaining order in the Capital Wasteland. However, after some time, she developed differences with the Brotherhood and exiled herself to the Commonwealth. We’re fairly certain that her intent was to make contact with the Institute.”

Truthfully, Evelyn had expected that Maxson would ask this of Nora, and had told her a bit about Doctor Li. She’d been a scientist on Project Purity with James, Evie’s father. She’d been essential in finally getting Purity working, but after James’ death at the hands of the Enclave, and Evie almost dying while turning the purifier on, along with the Brotherhood taking control of the project, she’d left. Nora nodded at everything Arthur said, standing at attention, despite wanting nothing more than to run back to the Prydwen with him and curl up into his arms.

“Your mission is simple. Once you’re inside, we want you to find Doctor Li, provided she made it to the Institute, and convince her to return to the Brotherhood of Steel.”

“Consider it done, Elder,” Nora responded, saluting him. He saluted back in kind. “Good luck, Knight.” He then briefly looked around. The only person near them was Ingram, and she was busying herself with readouts. “Be careful. Remember what I said and come back safe this time.” He spoke quietly so Ingram wouldn’t hear.

“I will,” Nora replied in a quiet tone. Arthur looked down at her for a moment, as though he wanted to reach out to her, but didn’t.

Ingram came over after that, and the spell was broken. Maxson returned to his steely, cold demeanor, and Ingram instructed Nora onto the platform. 

As Ingram began to search for a signal to lock Nora onto, she handed her a holotape, explaining that it housed a program that would download all classified Institute data to itself. All Nora had to do was find a terminal in the Institute and run the program. After a minute or two, she found a signal.

“Well, well, looks like we have a winner!” Ingram shouted over the noise of the machine. “RF wave capture complete. Ramping the emitter, it’s spiking but steady. All that’s left is to throw the transmitter switch, you ready, Knight?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Every nerve ending in Nora’s body was tingling.

“Three… two… one…! Stay safe, soldier!” A blue light surrounded Nora, and the last thing she heard before she disappeared was Arthur uttering her name.

“Nora…!”

With a flash, she was gone.

As suddenly as she had disappeared, she reappeared in an unfamiliar room, a wild afterimage flashing in front of her eyes. A wave of nausea hit her, and she doubled over, trying hard to not vomit. After a moment, the feeling left, and she stood, taking in her surroundings as she returned to a normal heart rate.

“Hello.” An intercom voice spoke softly, and she jumped, wildly trying to find the source.

“I wondered if you make might it here. You’re quite resourceful.”

The voice was that of an older male’s. She stepped forward, confused, until she noticed the camera on the high point of the wall, poised directly at her. So much for a sneaky entrance.

“I am known as Father. The Institute is under my guidance,” the voice explained. “And I know why you’re here. I’d like to discuss things with you, face-to-face. Please, step into the elevator down the stairs, and we can talk.”

Her blood ran cold. He knew about Shaun. Still, what other choice did she have? She couldn’t shoot her way in, she didn’t know what kind of defenses they had. She decided to obey Father, and step inside the elevator. As it began its slow descent, Father continued. 

“I can only imagine what you’ve heard, what you must think of us. I’d like to show you that you may have… the wrong impression.” As the elevator went past the floor and opened up to another big room, Nora’s jaw dropped.

“Welcome to the Institute.”

It was a multi-level facility, clean and white. Healthy, non-irradiated trees littered the ground below her, and she even saw flowing, clean water running beneath. Everything smelled clean and not rotten. She gasped, peering closer.

“This is the reality of the Institute. This place, these people, the work we do. For over a hundred years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to humanity’s survival. Decades of research, countless experiments and trials… A shared vision of how science can shape the future.”

Yeah, that’s why you made super mutants, Nora thought bitterly, but said nothing.

“It has never been easy, and our actions are often misinterpreted by those above ground. Someday, perhaps, we can show them what we’ve accomplished. But for now, we must remain underground. There’s too much at stake to risk it all. As you’ve seen, things above are… unstable.” The elevator stopped at the floor below, and Nora disembarked, her patience with this man’s philosophical waxing wearing thin. 

“I’d like to talk to you about what we can do… for everyone. But that can wait. You are here for a specific, very personal reason. You are here for your son.”

Her stomach churned again. How dare this man even mention him.

She continued the path before her, until she came upon another room. There was a glass enclosure, and a child sat facing away from her. Even from behind, she recognized that mess of jet-black hair. Her color, with Nate’s unruly cowlicks. He was here. She couldn’t help but run and press her palms to the glass.

“...Shaun?” She couldn’t stop her voice from shaking.

The child turned. “Huh? Yes, I’m Shaun…” And he was. Nate’s features, but her eyes. She couldn’t stop the tears that freely flew down her cheeks. She had finally found him.

“Shaun, it’s me. I’m… I’m your mother.”

He stared, confused for a moment. Then, panic distorted his features. Nora’s heart panged. “Father? What’s going on? What’s happening?”

“It’s okay, Shaun, I’m here to rescue you, please don’t be afraid,” she pleaded with him, already close to tears, voice thick with emotion.

“What’s going on?! Father? Father!”

“It’ll be okay, honey, I promise, I’m here for you now!” She shushed him, running to the room’s door. She slammed on the button. It didn’t budge. She began trying to pry open the cold, unyielding metal with her fingers.

“I don’t know you! Go away! Father, she’s trying to take me!” He continued to scream for Father, and Nora could take no more. She collapsed on the ground, sobbing into her hands.

She heard the whir of a door open, and the voice from the intercom spoke before her, in person.

“Shaun. S9-23 Recall Code Cirrus.”

She looked up and stared with wide eyes as Shaun leaned forward, unconscious. He did not fall, but stayed slumped, his eyes open but unresponsive.

This wasn’t Shaun. This was a synth made to look like him.

A fury grew inside Nora, and almost immediately she had Kellogg’s pistol aimed at Father’s head. She’d had enough of this. “Give me Shaun! The real Shaun! Right now, you bastard!”

The man watched her calmly, a hint of sympathy in his expression. He seemed careful not to show much more than that. “I know. You’ve gone to such lengths to find him.”

“Where is my son, goddamnit!?” she roared at him, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Brotherhood mission be damned, she was ready to kill everyone here to get to him.

“I need you to realize this situation is far more complicated than you could imagine.” He continued to stare at the gun pointed directly at his forehead, showing no emotion. “You have travelled very far, and suffered a great deal, to find your son. Well, your tenacity and dedication have been rewarded.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “It’s good to finally meet you, after all this time. It’s me. I am Shaun. I am… your son.”

Nora stared in disbelief, lowering her weapon. It couldn’t be… but…

She took a closer look, and that was all she needed. She stared into the same eyes she looked at every time she glanced in a mirror. Nate’s prominent nose sat directly in the middle of his face. She could see the same cowlicks the synth boy had at the front of his head.

He was telling the truth. 

“No…” she whispered, backing away. The gun clattered to the floor, all but forgotten. “How…”

“In the vault, you had no concept of the passage of time. You were released from your pod, and went searching for the son you’d lost. But then you learned that your son was no longer an infant, but a ten year old boy. You believed that ten years has passed. Is it really so hard to accept that it was not ten, but sixty years? That is the reality. And here I am. Raised by the Institute, and now its leader.”

Sixty years. She’d missed her son’s entire life, and he was the leader of the very organization she’d fought tooth and nail against. She tried to speak, to make sense of it.

“It… wasn’t right, what they did. They took you from me.” 

She didn’t think she would ever stop crying again.

“To you, that would certainly seem true. But to the Institute, it made all the sense in the world. At that time, the year 2227, the Institute had made great strides in synth production. But it was never enough. Scientific curiosity, and the goal of perfection, drove them ever onward. What they wanted was the perfect machine. So they followed the best example thus far - the human being.”

She felt sick. “They needed specimens. So they took you.”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.” Father continued to speak, to praise the Institute’s many achievements, but Nora had stopped listening.

They had robbed her of her son’s entire life. And worse, they had robbed him of his humanity. He didn’t care at all that his mother was standing before him, weeping, as he spoke to her about supposed scientific “marvels”. 

From that moment forward, she vowed to utterly destroy the Institute, no matter what it took.

~~~

It was several more days before she finally was allowed to leave. She had managed, somehow, some way, to pull herself together, to play the role of long-lost mother, to earn his trust. She’d met with the heads of all the divisions of the Institute(including Doctor Li, who she had reluctantly convinced to return to the Brotherhood, but only after finding out Maxson was now Elder), and met all the citizens, as well as gotten her own quarters, which she spent most of her time in. Most importantly, she saw how the synths were treated. Though they looked just like human beings, but they were treated poorly, as little more than tools. Despite what the Brotherhood had told her about the dangers they possessed, she saw little more than an oppressed group of people. She longed to help them, more than anything else.

She’d also managed to sneak into the locked-off section of Bioscience, the FEV labs, to procure Virgil’s cure. She had to contend with a few security turrets and a particularly violent Assaultron, but made it. She was shocked at the state of the labs, of the mess, of the super mutants floating in giant vats in the middle of the room. She listened to a holotape Virgil had left behind, about how much he regretted hurting so many people, and she was glad that she’d convinced Danse to spare him. Her stomach churned in hurt and anger at Shaun’s insistence that the FEV program continued, and it only confirmed what she already knew: her son was long gone, and this man who Shaun was now needed to be stopped.

When she was finally granted the ability to come and go from the Commonwealth as she pleased, via Molecular Relay technology installed in her pip-boy, the only place she could think to go was as far away from everyone else she could imagine. Back to Red Rocket.

With a flash of light, she appeared in front of the old gas station that now functioned as her home. This time she was nauseated for a whole new reason.

Codsworth and Dogmeat both rushed to her, overjoyed, but stopped short when they saw her face. “...Mum…?”

“Both of you, go stay in Sanctuary for a few days. I’d like to be alone.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Codsworth thought of asking her what was wrong, but he hadn’t seen that expression on her face since she awakened from the vault. He remembered that she’d needed time to herself then too. Against his better judgement, he floated to Sanctuary without another word, Dogmeat whining in tow.

Nora had barely made it to her bed before her heart broke all over again, and she sank into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyyy how bout that angst ey???? EY???? ayyyyy
> 
> anyways, i finally broke through my damn writer's block on this story and i'm back at it! I'm currently hard at work on Chapter 15, and I just have to get through the oh-so-fun Blind Betrayal, and then the rest of the story should be fairly smooth sailing! In addition, I also added another work to this series! (it's a series now.) It takes place during Chapter 9 of Fire and Ice, and it's about Danse and Evelyn, in case you're interested in their story! thanks for sticking around for months while i finish this, it means a lot to me.


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